


The Experiment

by SMB814



Series: Whatever Will Be [5]
Category: Tales of Symphonia
Genre: Angst, Character Study, Drama, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-04-04
Updated: 2011-04-04
Packaged: 2017-10-17 14:16:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 82,610
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/177728
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SMB814/pseuds/SMB814
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Part 5 of the "Whatever Will Be" series. To get the results you want, sometimes you have to take a few chances.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Guilt

**Author's Note:**

> **Rating:** T
> 
>  **Warnings:** Zelos being Zelos - i.e. adult themes, mild language, innuendo, mild sexual situations, etc.
> 
>  **Category:** Romance/Fluff, Drama, Angst, Character Study
> 
>  **Pairing:** Zelos/Sheena (a.k.a. Sheelos - if you don't like it, don't read it)
> 
>  **Time Frame/Spoilers:** Part 5 of the _Whatever Will Be_ series. If you haven't read the first four stories in the series ( _Mental Holiday_ , _Trust Building 101_ , _Exceptions to the Rules_ , and _Crossing the Line_ ), then do that first or you won't understand the place where these two are currently at. (The seven stories in the series are, in order, _Mental Holiday,/i >, _Trust Building 101_ , _Exceptions to the Rules_ , _Crossing the Line_ , _The Experiment_ , _Guardian Knight_ , and _Worth It_.)_
> 
>  **To get the results you want, sometimes you have to take a few chances.**
> 
>  **Disclaimer:** Alas, Tales of Symphonia and all its lovely characters don't belong to me. They belong to Namco-Bandai Games. I'm just borrowing them and not making any money off them, and I promise I'll return them unharmed (and probably happier than they ever were before) when I'm done playing with them. Any characters you don't recognize from the game, like Michi, belong to me.
> 
>  **Feedback:** Feedback is love and fodder for future fics. It will probably motivate me to finish the rest of the series faster, too.
> 
>  **History:** Plotting began December 2008, completed July 17, 2009. Rough draft begun May 29, 2010, completed July 6, 2010. Final version completed April 4, 2011.
> 
>  **Author's Notes:** Yep, this story is even longer than the last two. Tough. Zelos has some major decisions to make, so give the guy some time to get his thoughts in order.
> 
> Unfortunately, I can't vouch for the accuracy of the ninja stuff - doing research on such a secretive subject is really quite difficult. I did the best I could, but I finally had to give up trying to find reliable 'Everyday Life in a Ninja Village' resources that had the information I was looking for. I do have to give a huge thank you to Daidairo, though, who did correct a basic ninja mindset for me when she betaed this. Hopefully my modifications a) make sense, and b) more accurately reflect their way of thinking, and if they don't, well, let's just say Mizuho is based on Japan but doesn't mirror it in every detail. If anyone knows of a book about ninja life, though, could you please let me know? It really would be handy to have a good resource on the subject.
> 
> Also, the bell scene has been in this story since my very first draft of it, written nearly two years ago, long before the Symphonia OVA came out with that lovely Sheelos scene, so no, I didn't copy it. I was delighted to see such a beautiful visual of a similar scene, though! In fact, the whole Tethe'alla arc of the OVA is loaded with awesome Sheelos scenes, so if you haven't seen it yet, you really should try to track down a copy.
> 
> Love, hugs, and thanks to Daidairo and Trickksi for being willing to read through the (extremely) messy initial draft(s) of the series, encouraging me to keep working on it, and giving me some helpful pointers to improve it, although any mistakes or typos you find are still solely my fault.
> 
> Also, many, _many_ thanks to everyone who took the time to read the first four stories and leave such incredible feedback. This series was written first and foremost for _me_ , because I apparently needed to figure out a few things for myself and this series gave me a way to do that, but if even one other person enjoys it or gets something out of it, then I'll consider it to be a success.
> 
> If all goes as planned, the next story will be posted within the next few days.
> 
> And now, on with the show!

**Part 1: The Guilt**

Even after thirteen years, the pain of this particular anniversary never seemed to go away. And if it tried to, Sheena wouldn't let it.

She had been sitting in the cemetery on the outskirts of Mizuho two hours now, sometimes looking at the graves before her and other times letting the memories engulf her. She didn't think about it often anymore, all these people who would probably still be alive if not for her, but on this particular day she couldn't hide from it, and so she wouldn't even try. She owed it to them to suffer for what she'd done, and so she would. A few villagers had stopped by to pay their tributes and leave an offering for their lost loved ones, but none had spoken to her, and soon they'd left, leaving her alone again with her pain. Seeing no one around, she wrapped her arms around her legs, lowered her chin to her knees, and closed her eyes, listening to the howling wind and losing herself to the memories.

It had been amazing and exhilarating the day Grandpa had announced he had a job for her, one that would prove how special she was. She'd studied summoning a little before that, enough to know she could, but to be given the opportunity to prove it...she'd been so proud and excited. Proud and excited, yet as foolish and naïve as only a seven-year-old could be. She knew now that her attempt to form the pact with Volt couldn't have turned out any other way, but at the time she'd thought it would be simple. She'd been so eager to prove herself, not only to Grandpa, but to all of the villagers - maybe even to her parents, wherever they were - that she'd eagerly accepted his proposal.

Looking back, she couldn't fathom how stupid she'd been. _Of_ _course_ she'd failed; how could she have succeeded? After all, how could a child have known an ancient language even her people didn't? How could she have known Volt hated humanity? How could she have even conceived of the immense power summon spirits possessed? What tortured her most now, though, was that she had been _so sure_ at the time; she hadn't even felt nervous walking into the Temple of Lightning. Maybe that was because she'd been so childishly certain she would succeed, or maybe it was because her young, innocent mind couldn't comprehend of anything disastrous happening when she'd had so many fine ninjas with her, but that lack of understanding and respect for Volt had been her fatal mistake. It had only been as she'd stood before him, listening to him speak in that crazy language, that fear had finally sunk in, when she'd realized how wrong she'd been. And then that first lightning bolt had pierced the air, striking down Orochi and Kuchinawa's mother, and then their father had fallen, and then another person, and another, one after the other, like ants being flicked off a table, and it had all seemed like a twisted, surreal dream.

She'd been paralyzed at the time, gaping at Volt in growing panic and helplessness, desperately waiting for the nightmare to end so she could awake safe in her bed. But the nightmare had been real, and she'd quickly gone numb, unable to process and react to everything, to the people falling around her...the people who, she'd realized, were _dying_ around her. She'd had no idea what she'd done wrong, why it hadn't worked like her grandfather had assured her it would, or why she couldn't understand Volt. She was a summoner; why wasn't that enough? She knew she'd gotten all the words right; why wasn't Volt listening to her? Why weren't her people fighting back? ' _But we're ninjas, and ninjas_ _ **always**_ _win!'_ she still remembered thinking at the time.

And then she'd heard it, like a distant voice through a tiny tube: Grandpa shouting at her, instructing her to run, to leave the temple. Her legs had been frozen, though, and she still couldn't move, waiting for the solution to strike her so she could get things under control like a summoner was _supposed_ to be able to do. And then Grandpa had picked her up and began running, fleeing Volt...only a second later his body had jolted and he'd fallen down the steps. She hadn't understood what had happened, that he'd been struck, until she'd found herself pinned beneath him on the cold stone ground, unable to breathe beneath his crushing weight. For a moment, she'd been certain she would die, but suddenly he'd been rolled off of her, revealing Tiga above her. Tiga had lifted her up and passed her to another ninja, and then he'd dropped to his knees beside Igaguri, trying to revive him. Sheena had watched, stunned, uncomprehending tears streaming down her face, as he'd worked, but then more lightning had flown through the air, tossing another ninja against the wall like a rag doll, and Tiga had given up, grabbing Grandpa and hauling him from the temple.

No one had dared return to collect the bodies until the next day. Sheena, having been injured in the fall, suffering a broken wrist, numerous cuts and scrapes, and several bruised ribs from being crushed to the ground, had been stuck in bed at the time and hadn't even realized what they were doing until afterward. In her daze, she hadn't understood it, what had happened and why all these people - _her_ people, people who had believed in her - were dead. But as distressing as that was, and as distraught as she was about Grandpa, who she'd only learned was in a coma after begging Tiga to let her see him, what devastated her most was that the same people who had wished her luck the previous day were now avoiding her and looking at her like she was a monster. Only Tiga and, after a few days, Orochi, who'd dragged Kuchinawa along with him, had actually talked to her and told her what had happened. Tiga had treated her neutrally, if a little distantly; Orochi had been devastated by his parents' deaths but had still treated her kindly and had gently tended to her injuries; and Kuchinawa...well, Kuchinawa had been angry, at her, at Volt, at Grandpa, at the world. It had taken a few weeks and several long conversations with Orochi, but eventually he'd begun talking to her again, and in time, they'd returned to being friends.

 _Ha. Friends. Yeah, right._

Ever since their duel last year, Sheena had been replaying everything that had happened after the Volt accident, trying to determine if Kuchinawa had ever truly forgiven her, like he'd once said he had, or if he'd been resentful of her all that time and had just hidden it behind a façade of friendship, at least until her failure to kill Colette had revealed his true feelings. The latter was obviously the case, she now knew, but for so long she'd been convinced he'd been a true friend. And to think, it had been his and Orochi's friendship that had gotten her through the worst of the years, when the guilt and loneliness had threatened to consume her. They'd reassured her it hadn't been her fault, that it had been an accident and they didn't hold her responsible, and while she'd never completely believed them, not when she could never forgive herself, it had still gotten her through those despairing days. Orochi, yes, she still believed had forgiven her, although even now she still wondered at times if a part of him did hold her responsible. But Kuchinawa...

Sheena tightened her hold on her legs as the knot in her gut tightened. Oh, how she wished that situation with him had turned out differently. If she hadn't disappointed him so badly, would he have become a turncoat? Would he have challenged her and then left Mizuho upon losing? Over the years, his resentment had grown so strong, and while she deserved it, she'd still missed seeing it until too late. He'd hidden it so well, and she hadn't wanted to see it so she hadn't. Now she would probably never see him again. Part of her had hoped he would come back here today, to pay tribute at his parents' graves, but deep down she'd known that was just wishful thinking and he never would if it meant running into _her_ here.

And oh, how she missed him, that old friend who had helped shape her into a capable ninja. This was the first year that, on this particular morning, he hadn't sat here with her, even for a few minutes, to remember his parents. She understood why it was this way, but she still missed him. She missed the Orochi she'd once known, too. He had sat with her awhile this morning, but he hadn't said anything, and she could feel a strange tension radiating from him so it had actually been a relief when he'd left. She'd been noticing it more lately, the odd looks he gave her that, when caught doing so, always made his face turn red and made him look away in what appeared to be embarrassment, even though that made no sense to her. And every time he _wasn't_ doing that, he still acted stilted toward her - most likely, she figured, because he disapproved of her relationship with Zelos.

The one she missed most, though, was Corrine, the final casualty of her encounters with Volt. His absence left a gaping hole in her heart that still hurt so badly at times that she couldn't breathe. Sure, he lived on as Verius, but that wasn't the Corrine she had known, nor did it erase the pain of not having her friend here with her. He had always encouraged her and comforted her whenever she felt down; simply by being a summon spirit who chose to associate with her, he had given her courage to become the experienced summoner she now was. Not having him here today, cuddling against her and telling her he would always be here for her, made her want to burst into tears and beg him, again, to forgive her for her lack of faith in him. Reaching into her pocket, she searched again for his bell, but as she'd discovered earlier, it wasn't there. Tears pricked her eyes, and she squeezed them shut. She'd grabbed his bell at home, intending to bring it here with her, but she must have dropped it along the way, and while she wanted to look for it, she _didn't_ want to run into anyone with tears streaming down her face, so it would just have to wait until later.

Taking a deep breath, Sheena opened her eyes, hugged her legs tighter, and peered at the gravestones. So many lives lost because of her...so many that even now, years later, Mizuho still hadn't recovered its numbers to a safe level. It was one of her greatest fears, that because of how she'd decimated its population, their numbers would continue dwindling and they would either die out or would have to merge with the rest of Tethe'alla. As far as she was concerned, neither option was acceptable, and she already knew it was a problem she'd have to address as chief. She'd already killed too many of her people; she didn't want to be responsible for killing their culture, too. At least the remaining villagers were more accepting of her now that she'd returned successful from the regeneration journey, and most days she didn't dwell on the past, but it still hurt to know all these people who had once been willing to die to protect her weren't here to see everything she had accomplished in their honor, trying to make amends for everything she'd done wrong.

And that was why she was here: to honor them and assure their spirits that even if she'd subdued Volt and found unexpected happiness the past few months, she would never forget their sacrifice. More than that, though, she was here to present herself to them, unarmed and unresisting, and give them a chance to judge her. If they believed her unworthy, that she was making no progress for everything she had cost them, then she had no doubt they could strike her dead with a lightning bolt, considering how dark and cloudy the sky was. It was still winter, and it was probably too early in the year for a storm, but it wouldn't be unheard of for the ancestral spirits to speak like that, and she would give them the chance to do so if they so chose. And so this was where she would sit, for however long necessary, until they either judged her or decided to let her live another year.

With a low sigh, Sheena closed her eyes, letting the tears fall and reveling in the silence of the cold, dreary day, broken only by the mournful wind blowing through the cemetery. Minutes, maybe hours, later, though, she heard soft footsteps approaching, slowing to a stop beside her, and a moment later, the person sat down. Taking a deep breath, she opened her eyes again, expecting to find another villager paying tribute to a lost loved one...and was surprised instead to find it was Zelos. She blinked, confused. He hadn't said anything about dropping by, and she had told him she was busy today, choosing not to tell him about this anniversary because she didn't want to worry him or hear him say all the standard 'boyfriend' stuff, like that this wasn't her fault and that she should cheer up and then do something stupid to make her laugh on a day when laughing wasn't appropriate. And suddenly, she was afraid that if he'd just dropped by to say 'hi' or had needed to cool down after seeing Seles, then this would turn into a disaster because of her shaky emotions and because she had a very different method of handling grief and guilt than he did, one that involved facing sorrows head-on instead of running from them.

Sniffling and brushing at her face to wipe away the tears, even though he'd probably already seen them, she took another deep breath, looked away, and cleared her throat, trying to compose herself. She had to handle this carefully because she really didn't want to offend him, and since he still hadn't said anything, that meant she had to speak first, before he could ask what was wrong or chide her for succumbing to her guilt. Now, if only she knew what to say...

 _Okay, just be honest_ , she told herself _. He can't possibly know what today is and so he probably really is here because he's bored or was missing me and wants to go do something, which isn't possible today. He'll understand, right?_ "I...I'm sorry, Zelos, but today isn't a good day for us to do anything," she whispered, watching her knees carefully.

He shrugged. "Eh, that's okay. I didn't have anything in mind for today."

 _...Huh?_ "You didn't?" Sheena turned toward him and blinked again, confused, as he shook his head. "Then what are you...why are you...?"

Zelos gave her a faint smile and motioned at the graves. "A few months ago I noticed the dates on most of the markers matched, and I figured that was V-Day for you guys. And when you insisted you were busy today but wouldn't tell me what was going on, I figured my hunch had to be right. That's why I'm here - 'cause I thought you might like some company."

He...knew? And here she hadn't wanted to bother him with something that didn't impact him. She should've guessed he would figure it out anyway. His sharp perception was both a blessing and a curse sometimes, it seemed.

Blinking again, Sheena looked away from him, struggling to think clearly after the hours she'd spent lost in fuzzy memories. "I...I probably won't make for good company today."

Zelos nudged her shoulder with his. "You aren't the company, Sheena. I am. There's no reason for you to be alone with your thoughts when I'm perfectly happy to spend the day with you instead, right?"

Just like that, the clouds cleared. Zelos was doing the same for her that she'd done for him on the anniversary of his mother's death. While she was touched by his thoughtfulness in coming here for her...she couldn't accept it. Her method of helping him through the pain, like he was undoubtedly planning to do, had been to drag him to Altamira to keep his mind off of everything. But this she _wanted_ to think about. Thanks to him, she had been so happy for so long now that she occasionally felt guilty when she'd recognized that happiness was leading her to forget about the guilt and, with it, these people who'd sacrificed their lives for her...people she never wanted to forget. The least she could do was spend today honoring their memories and letting them punish her if they deemed that appropriate.

Sheena sighed and closed her eyes. "I appreciate the offer, Zelos, but I...I really need to be here. This, today, isn't something I can run from. I can't, and I won't."

She opened her eyes in time to see him nod. "I know, sweetheart. I'm not asking you to."

He wasn't? Then why had he...oh, wait. If that wasn't why he was here, then her initial explanation had to be right: he was here to tell her this wasn't her fault, that she shouldn't dwell on things she couldn't change, and that she shouldn't feel guilty anymore. It wouldn't be the first time he'd done so. But he just didn't understand how it felt. Well, he _did_ \- he knew exactly how guilt felt - but he had a different way of approaching it than she did.

She sighed and shook her head. Right now she couldn't handle hearing his carefree, 'don't worry about it' mentality, and so she had to stop him before he could start. "I know what you're going to say, Zelos - that this wasn't my fault, that I'm not responsible for these deaths because I was too young to have subdued Volt, and that it was thirteen years ago and I should move on. But it's just not that easy. I can't let myself forget these people or their sacrifice for me; I can't forget the sacrifice every surviving villager made in losing their loved ones because of me. The least I can do is honor them today and let them judge me, the person I've become and everything I've accomplished. I owe them far more than that, but right now it's all I can do. I don't expect you to understand why I need to do this, but please, let me. You deal with grief one way; I can't handle mine the same way."

He sighed softly. "Sheena, relax. I know. You need to do what you need to do, and I'll let you. I'm not gonna give you grief about this." Sheena looked sharply at him, her eyes widening, and he met her gaze. "And for the record, everything you _thought_ I was going to say? I wasn't."

What? Agh, she wished she could think clearer; this was just was confusing her further. "You...weren't?"

"Nope." He tilted his head slightly. "Well, okay, I'd be lying to say I hadn't _considered_ it, but then I realized that would just piss you off and make it look like I didn't respect your feelings or something equally insensitive, and so instead I opted for the W.W.L.D. method, because Martel knows that always went over better with you than mine did."

Sheena blinked at him blankly. "The...W.W.L.D...method?"

"The _'What Would Lloyd Do?'_ method."

For a moment, she just watched him, positive he was making a joke to lighten the mood, even though he _looked_ completely serious. But he _had_ to be joking...right? "You can't be serious."

He arched an eyebrow. "Actually, I am."

...He was serious. _Zelos_ , copying _Lloyd_? It took her a moment to find her voice again past her disbelief. "And this method involves doing...what, exactly?"

"Sitting here with you for however long you want me to and serving as a reminder of something I know you already know but that it never hurts to reemphasize," he stated.

And again, all she could do was blink at him blankly. "A reminder of...what?"

Zelos gave her a soft, empathetic smile. "Of the fact that not everyone who loves you and stood beside you when you faced Volt died while doing so. And of the fact that some of us actually owe you our lives because of how you protected us by doing what you do best: kicking the butts of anyone who threatens those you love."

Sheena stared at him, stunned. That was, quite honestly, the _last_ thing she'd expected him to say...but the fact that he'd chosen to go that route to comfort her, even thought it went against his nature, melted her heart. And the meaning behind it...she was touched, deeply. She had been certain he wasn't connected to this incident, but he was - and that was why he had every right to say that, because he _had_ stood beside her last year when she'd faced Volt. He was saying he had survived that encounter because of her, because after Corrine's death she'd finally taken control, put Volt in his place, and acquired his respect and power. It was easy to forget that amidst the guilt still haunting her from the first time: she _had_ faced Volt a second time, and unlike that first time, when she'd been a naïve, eager-to-prove-herself child, that second time, when Tiga had insisted she face her past regardless of her terrified protests, she'd _won._ She'd succeeded where she'd failed before, thanks to the strength and support of her friends.

And really, he had a point. Today _did_ feel different than it had in previous years. Alone with the guilt, yes; regretful over Kuchinawa's self-banishment, yes. But today was the first anniversary of this day since their journey had ended, and everything was different because she _had_ now succeeded. She felt _lighter,_ somehow, like a weight had been lifted from her chest. She was still sad and felt incredibly guilty that she hadn't been able to do the first time what she had the second and that these people were buried in the ground because of it, but she'd achieved her vengeance. She controlled Volt now. She'd proven he'd been wrong to dismiss her and hurt her people, and she hadn't let history repeat itself. She'd wanted to give up after Corrine's death but hadn't - and this man sitting beside her had played a pivotal role in making sure she'd pressed on when everything seemed hopeless, simply by believing in her and fighting Volt alongside her.

Sheena lifted her eyes to his and gave him a faint but sincerely appreciative smile, feeling another wave of tears building. While it was awkward and embarrassing to be in the position of accepting such comfort, she'd be damned if she didn't make sure he knew how much it meant to her. "Thanks," she whispered.

Zelos returned her smile, then held up his hand to her. "Here. This was lying in the flowerbed in front of your house."

Sheena's eyes narrowed as she lifted her hand to his, and another wave of tears flooded her eyes as he dropped a small bell in her palm. Her hand closed around it, and she clutched it tightly to her chest, her eyes sliding shut. It must have fallen there earlier. Relief and a sense of rightness swept through her - as did another wave of gratitude to the man who'd recognized she would want it with her now.

"Your own sacrifice to achieve that victory for us didn't go unnoticed, Sheena," Zelos went on softly. "Neither did Corrine's. And I think he'd be proud of everything you accomplished because of it." He paused, his voice lowering further. "I know I am."

And finally, Sheena couldn't resist any longer. Knowing no one else was in the cemetery, she scooted closer to him, curling into his side and letting her left hand, still clutching the bell, rest against his chest. "Thank you, Zelos."

Zelos wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close so she could rest her head on his shoulder, then he pressed a kiss to her forehead that was so loving that it decimated her ability to restrain her tears. Letting a few stream down her cheeks, she held him to her, hating to be crying on him like this and yet trusting him not to hold it against her. And too weak to refuse his comfort, even if it meant letting him see her like this, Sheena succumbed to it, relishing in his warm, protective embrace and feeling his heart beat beneath her fingers, a reminder of the fact that he truly _was_ alive because of her. While she still missed Kuchinawa, Corrine, and the old Orochi dearly, Zelos _was_ here, and while his presence was different, he was still making sure she didn't feel completely alone. No words existed to express how grateful she was that he'd come here for her like this. It was a simple gesture, going against his nature to comfort her in a way he wouldn't otherwise, but it still reiterated why she loved this man so damn much.

An indeterminable time had passed - maybe seconds, maybe minutes, maybe hours, but long enough for her tears to run their course - when Zelos suddenly tensed and then shifted, lifting his head and looking around sharply, his arm falling from her back. Her eyes narrowed as she looked up at him curiously. "What is it?"

For a moment he just looked around, but finally he relaxed, gave her a faint smile, and wrapped his arm around her again, drawing her back to him. "I just thought I'd heard something. Must've been my imagination, though, since I don't see or hear anything now."

Her eyes narrowed further as she scanned the cemetery - it wasn't like him to 'imagine' things - but she didn't see or hear anyone, either, and so she likewise relaxed. Maybe he'd just heard the wind, or maybe the wind had carried a sound from the village here. It wouldn't be the first time that had happened. In fact, for years she'd been convinced the sounds she'd heard here were the spirits speaking to her, until Orochi and Kuchinawa had persuaded her otherwise.

Convinced no one was around, Sheena lowered her head to his shoulder again, sinking back into his warmth. She'd just closed her eyes when a sudden sound startled her. Opening her eyes again, she looked to her left...and instantly bolted upright as she realized her grandfather was now sitting beside her. Oh, crap. Oh, _crap._ He was one of only a handful of people who'd ever been able to sneak up on her, having mastered the art of stealth long ago, but she hadn't expected him to demonstrate that skill _right_ _now_. Zelos quickly turned to see what had startled her...and instantly his eyes widened and he released her as if she was on fire, scooting a few inches away from her.

"Chief Igaguri!" he said, his face flaring and panic raging in his eyes as he glanced briefly at Sheena. As impressed as Sheena was that Grandpa could sneak up even on someone with angel senses, this was still _the worst possible timing_.

Igaguri bowed his head and gave them a tight smile. "Sheena. Chosen."

"Grandpa," Sheena said, her face hot and her heart racing. They'd been so careful the past six months not to let anyone see them in any sort of intimate position, and then the person who found them like that was her _grandfather_? This was _bad_.

Zelos, likewise, seemed to recognize how problematic this was. "Sorry, sorry," he said, giving Igaguri an awkward smile. "I...I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have been holding Sheena like that here; it was inappropriate of me. If I'd realized anyone else was around, I..."

Igaguri shook his head, his smile softening with something that looked, oddly enough, like _fondness_. "Please, Chosen, do not worry yourself. I saw nothing inappropriate here."

...Wait, what? Sheena blinked several times, then glanced at Zelos, who was also clearly confused. There was no way her grandfather hadn't noticed how he'd just been holding her. "You...didn't?" she ventured, turning back to him.

"Of course not. I see nothing inappropriate in someone comforting a friend who is hurting." Igaguri arched an eyebrow. "Do you?"

Nothing...inappropriate? That wasn't what _she'd_ thought. Mizuho's rule on male/female relationships was extremely clear: don't let anyone see anything that could be construed as romantic. And the way Zelos had been holding her, and the way she'd been curled into him, was painfully clear, especially when coupled with the fact that everyone in Mizuho undoubtedly knew by now, even without any shows of affection, that they were dating. Stunned, Sheena cast another glance at Zelos, who just blinked back at her uncertainly. But Grandpa's words and implication were also clear: he saw no reason why they shouldn't return to that position. And considering how cold Sheena was without Zelos's warm arms around her, she refused to look a gift horse in the mouth.

"No," she stated carefully.

Igaguri smiled warmly, and after considering that a moment, Zelos scooted closer and hesitantly slid his arm around her again. Still her grandfather just smiled at them, though, and finally Sheena relaxed and rested her head on Zelos's shoulder again, breathing in his masculine scent. Bowing his head to them, Igaguri turned toward the graves, his smile vanishing, his eyes sliding shut, and his head dipping downward in prayer.

Only then did she realize what he was doing: like her, he was paying respects to their fallen people...only in his case, this was the first time since the accident that he _could_ do so. And as she watched all peace and happiness on his face fade into grief that left him looking like a frail old man, it hit her that more than just sorrow, he felt _guilty_ about it, too. He'd lost many dear friends that day, too, and really, he was just as responsible for it as she was, having pushed her to do something she wasn't ready for. He'd learned as powerful a lesson that day as she had, about risking others' lives and showing the summon spirits respect, and he'd lost as much as she had, too - people he cared about who had trusted his decision to push her to form the pact. As punishment, he'd lost thirteen years of his life - years he would never get back. In fact, also like her, he was probably wondering how he had survived that tragedy at all when so many others had not.

Her heart burned with empathy. She had never recognized how much he hurt for what he'd done by pushing her. Sheena didn't blame him for the accident, not when she had jumped at the opportunity with such blind eagerness, and ever since he'd revived, the other villagers had likewise made it clear they didn't blame him by welcoming him back as chief. After all, how could he have known how anti-human Volt had become? And how could he have known, too, that Volt spoke an indecipherable ancient language and would lash out at them? Sheena was certain he recognized all of that, but the guilt on his face still told her he, too, held himself responsible for these deaths. And since she still hadn't found a way to forgive herself yet, she didn't know how to help him erase his guilt, either.

Some time later, Igaguri's eyes opened again, and he lifted his head and gave her a faint but sad smile. "I am certain, Sheena, that these people are proud of you and of everything you have accomplished since their deaths."

Her eyes fell to her knees and she clutched Corrine's bell tighter as Zelos gave her a squeeze. The words were what she wanted to hear, but her uncertainty wouldn't let her accept them. "I hope so," she whispered.

Igaguri gently touched her arm. "I know so, child, because I was once one of them. You have proven their faith in you and in the strength of your spirit to be warranted, as you have proven mine to be; you have made their sacrifice worthwhile, and I know you will continue doing so in whatever choices you are yet to make."

Her face grew warm, but she knew he meant that. He had his moments of joking and of not taking things seriously, but she also knew when he said something like that, he meant it. And even though she wasn't sure she believed that, it still touched her that he'd said it at all, words she'd desperately wanted to hear since she'd been seven.

"Thanks, Grandpa," she said, biting her lip to hold back another wave of tears.

He smiled, leaned over, and kissed her cheek, then rose to his feet. Once standing, he breathed in deeply and slowly released it, looking down at them again, his voice resuming its normal tone. "I will be hosting a memorial dinner tonight in honor of our fallen clansmen. Sheena, you will join us?"

...Oh. Right. She did remember him mentioning that. It wouldn't be the first memorial dinner Mizuho had held on this anniversary, but it would be the first he'd be attending. She really didn't want to go to a public dinner, relive the past, and face her people's angry stares as they remembered who it was who had put their loved ones in these graves, but it would be too obvious if she didn't show up, and so she would. Besides, her grandfather was the one hosting it, and turning down the invitation, especially when she'd played such a huge role in the accident, would be poor form.

She nodded. "Okay."

Igaguri bowed his head, but then, to her surprise, his eyes snapped to Zelos, his eyebrows rising expectantly. "And you, Chosen?"

Instantly, Zelos's eyes widened and his lips parted, clearly as taken aback by that as Sheena was. While she trusted her grandfather to make Zelos feel welcome here, especially after all the times she'd talked to him about Zelos and explained why he should be allowed here, _this_ , inviting him to something that barely affected him, went way beyond a simple welcome. In fact, it went so far beyond that that Sheena had no idea what his real intent in doing so was; she just knew it had to be more than simple courtesy.

Zelos's gaze darted at her, but then he let out a soft laugh and looked back at Igaguri, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "Oh, ah, thank you for the invitation, Chief Igaguri, but that's really a Mizuho thing. I'm just an outsider here. I don't think I belong there..."

"Nonsense," Igaguri cut him off. "You are the only person here who was with my granddaughter when she formed the pact with Volt last year. Please, join us. My people would appreciate hearing what happened from someone who experienced it firsthand."

Sheena blinked several times, then met Zelos's alarmed eyes again. Seriously, why was her grandfather _doing_ this? Sure, having Zelos there when the memories got to be too much would be a tremendous relief, but she just couldn't fathom why her grandfather would even _consider_ inviting an outsider to this. It was...well, honestly, it was _weird_.

"Please, Chosen," Igaguri went on a moment later, offering him a faint, almost - Sheena could barely believe her eyes - _pleading_ smile. "I believe hearing your account of how this story ended will bring my people closure, especially since Sheena has made it clear she does not wish to speak of it herself."

Zelos continued watching Igaguri uncertainly, but then he turned to Sheena, the question obvious in his eyes: _'What do_ _ **you**_ _think?'_ The problem was, she wasn't sure _what_ she thought. While she supposed her grandfather had a point (although she wasn't convinced closure was his _only_ reason for inviting Zelos), she already knew she wouldn't be able to talk about it herself, not without breaking down into tears over Corrine's sacrifice, which was frowned on here. But she didn't want to make _Zelos_ do what she was too weak to do herself, either - nor was she sure how the villagers would react to it. The villagers, while not outright hostile toward him, still questioned why she invited him here, and she knew they'd grown to tolerate him only because her grandfather had made it clear he wouldn't kick Zelos out. But if he suddenly showed up at this dinner...would they accept him or insist he leave? She _wanted_ him and his strength and support there with her, desperately, but she didn't want him to feel he _had_ to.

When he still didn't answer, she schooled her face into a blank visage, not wanting to influence him either way, and whispered, "It's up to you."

Zelos searched her eyes another moment, clearly conflicted, but finally he looked back at Igaguri and nodded. "Okay. I'll be there."

"Thank you," Igaguri replied, smiling again. "I appreciate your willingness to share your story with us. Then I shall see you both this evening." Bowing his head one last time, he turned and slowly began heading back to the village.

Once he was gone, Zelos turned back to Sheena, his brows furrowed as if he was still unsure what had just happened. "That _is_ okay with you, right? Or would you rather I didn't stick around for that?"

Sheena smiled shyly and shook her head. "No, that's fine. In fact, I'm glad you _will_ be there. I just...I didn't want you to feel obligated to stay for something long and boring and depressing that I know you aren't interested in just because of me."

"Hey, don't worry about it. I don't mind. Really. Martel knows you'd do it for me in a heartbeat. And trust me, sweetheart, whatever account your grandfather makes me give, I won't embarrass you." He pulled away enough to give her a soft smile. "If it was any other day, I might be tempted to, but I'd never do that to you today. I promise."

"I know," she whispered, smiling as he pressed a kiss to her cheek before drawing her against him again.

Returning her head to his shoulder, Sheena sank back into his protective embrace, returning her hand to his chest. That was one thing she no longer doubted: while Zelos still liked joking around and teasing people, her included, he truly did know when it was safe to do so and when it would backfire and adjusted his timing appropriately. For so many years she'd been certain he was an insensitive jerk, but now she knew the truth: he had only acted like that to keep her off guard and at arm's length from him. She was just glad she now knew that so she _could_ trust him at times like these not to humiliate her.

They sat in silence another minute, but then she sighed and her eyes slid shut. "So how long are you sticking around today?"

She could feel his lips curl upward into a smile. "Well, through dinner, obviously. And however long you want me to stay after that. I cleared my schedule for the day."

Oh, thank Jizou. While she never could have asked him to come here for her, she was glad he'd figured it out and come anyway. As much as she preferred to deal with her guilt and grief alone, the things he'd pointed out had helped, and his simple presence was a tremendous comfort, one she never wanted to...

Her eyes flew open as an idea hit her. Tonight would be the perfect night to ask him something she'd never had the courage to ask before. The dinner would undoubtedly run late into the evening, far later than he usually stayed in Mizuho. When she was visiting him in Meltokio, he never let her walk home alone when it got dark, pointing out how dangerous the Gaorrachia Forest was at night. She had been considering asking him this for awhile now, but she hadn't yet because every time she started thinking about it, she quickly became too nervous to actually do so (something even she realized was ridiculous at this point in their relationship), but tonight...it made sense tonight. And she truly did trust him not to take advantage of her state to do anything perverted. After all, he'd earned her trust the hard way, making a concerted effort to hold to his promises and behave himself with her, despite how difficult she knew it was for him.

Biting her lip, she lifted her head and turned to look at him. _Just say it,_ she told herself. _You're already emotionally weakened; use it to your advantage. Don't worry about your pride or how it will look to everyone. Once you've done it once, you won't have to do it again, because he'll know the invitation is always open, so just get it over with!_ "How...how would you like to stay overnight?"

He blinked once, then twice, then suddenly his brows furrowed. He had never asked her to let him stay - not because he'd never wanted to, Sheena knew, but because he'd never wanted to impose on her, invite himself, or make her have to tell him 'no' for fear of making a scene in Mizuho. The point he'd made to always leave here early enough to get safely back to Meltokio had proven that. No, she knew if he was ever going to stay overnight, it had to be by her invitation, just like he'd given her an open invitation to stay at his mansion. This was just the first opportunity she'd had to legitimately reciprocate the offer.

His surprised but hopeful expression indicated he, too, seemed to recognize how significant this was for them. "You serious?"

Sheena looked down at her knees and nodded faintly. As embarrassing as it was to be admitting how weak she felt and implying that his being here would help, she didn't want him to leave, either, and it would be even worse after the dinner tonight. She didn't want to be alone today, and he was the only person she trusted to stay with her.

"On the couch in the main room, of course," she clarified, giving him a pointed - but undoubtedly weak - look. Sure, saying that was unnecessary because not once had he seriously tried to seduce her, and she knew he wouldn't tonight. The fact of the matter, though, was that she was nervous about asking him this, and slipping back into their old antagonistic routine at such times usually put her a little more at ease. Even now, she still occasionally found herself feeling shy with him and had a hard time believing they really were together. She arched an eyebrow. "Or are you gonna try something funny?"

He gave her a soft, knowing, but thankfully not insulted smile. "What do _you_ think?"

Sheena chuckled shyly. "Didn't think so."

Zelos grinned, but his eyes quickly narrowed as he watched her, his smile fading. "But what about the impression that would give your village?"

Ah, so that _had_ been one of his concerns. She shrugged, even as her cheeks grew warmer. "I don't care what they think." And she didn't. If Grandpa hadn't scolded them for sitting here like this, then she didn't doubt he could talk down any other complaints about them, too. Granted, by letting Zelos stay overnight, she was guaranteeing her grandfather would ask her directly if they were sleeping together, but since it wasn't a lie to say 'no,' she wasn't worried. After all, he couldn't see through a lie, something he was good at doing, if she wasn't lying. "It isn't like we're going to advertise it. Besides, it'll be late by the time dinner ends, and it's not like you have anywhere else to stay here."

"Yeah, well, it's not like anyone else would even let me in their home," Zelos murmured.

...Well, yeah, that was probably true, but she knew better than they did what kind of man he was. She just wished she could point out all of the amazing things he'd done and all the ways he had matured without making it look like she was defending him just because he was her boyfriend. But right now she couldn't, so she would just hope they'd eventually realize the truth for themselves.

Biting her lip, Sheena looked at him hopefully. While she suspected she knew what his answer would be, she still needed to hear him say it or else there was still room for doubt. This place, after all, wasn't his home and didn't have the luxuries he was used to. Maybe that, too, was why she'd never asked him to stay before: because she didn't want him to feel resentful for having to 'scale down' his accommodations for her. Sure, he'd spent nights camping outdoors during their journey, but she also remembered him whining about not having a comfy bed or a decent place to bathe, and the truth was she didn't know if he'd seriously hated that or if that had been part of the spoiled, pampered Chosen act. And...well, her couch wasn't exactly comfortable, seeing as its cushions were flat, designed for sitting, not sleeping, and while _she_ liked her bed, it was still basically just a foldable mattress on the floor and was nothing like his.

But then, he _had_ stayed overnight in Mizuho during their journey, and really, they'd stayed in far worse accommodations than anything Mizuho could offer (like that cold, damp campsite they'd set up outside the Temple of Ice once, and while Zelos had hated it, he'd also survived it). He'd spent plenty of time here and knew what he'd be agreeing to by staying. While she still felt uncomfortable offering him her pathetic couch for the night, the truth was...well, she couldn't rescind the offer when she _needed_ him here too much.

"Please stay," she whispered, her blush deepening.

Instantly, his face melted. Lifting his free hand, he gently touched her cheek, smiled, and gave her a tender kiss. "Of course, sweetheart. I'm not going anywhere."

While that was the answer she'd expected, relief still swept through her. Returning his smile, she leaned into him again, closed her eyes, and whispered, "Thank you." Besides, she realized, maybe beyond simply needing him with her tonight, she wanted the villagers to get used to seeing him here more than just a few hours during the day. As she'd decided last month, their relationship wasn't going anywhere yet, and she wanted them to feel comfortable with him - and the only way that would happen was to give Zelos an opportunity to show them the real him. Having him stay overnight in her home, while, granted, sending an incorrect message about what they were doing together, was also sending the message that she trusted him implicitly and believed everyone else should view him the same. Whether it worked or not, though...well, only time would tell.

Finally feeling more relaxed, Sheena nuzzled her face against him, relishing in his warmth and his heartbeat and taking it as the reminder he'd intended that not _everyone_ had died because of her. And that knowledge, combined with her grandfather's words of pride, really did help. It wasn't complete healing - it probably never would be, considering how deeply that wound ran - but it was better than it had been, and she would take it.

They sat in silence several minutes, until suddenly Zelos cleared his throat and motioned at the graves. "So tell me about these people."

Sheena lifted her head, her eyes narrowing. "Hn?" She motioned at the three pebble-surrounded stone statues clad in red hats and bibs of Mizuho's protector, guarding the cemetery. "Who? These Jizou statues?"

He let out a soft laugh and shook his head. "No, no, not Jizou. You've already told me plenty about him and his kindness and generosity and his strange yet admirable hobby of helping miscarried and stillborn children build towers of pebbles so they can cross that one river into the afterlife." _Wow_ , she thought, her eyes widening. _He'd actually listened when I told him about Jizou. Who would've thought?_ She'd figured he had zoned out long before she'd reached that part, but she was impressed he hadn't. "I meant about these people buried here. I know next to nothing about them, other than that they obviously cared enough about you to stand beside you when you faced Volt." And again, Sheena blinked at him. He wanted to know about these people, even though they were dead? Seeing her uncertainty, Zelos smiled. "Seriously, what better way is there of honoring them and making sure their sacrifice is never forgotten than telling someone else about them? Y'know, making them real for someone who never met them? I mean, I already know I respect them for protecting you, but it would be nice to know who they were."

"...Oh." That made sense. But still, he made talking about them sound so easy. "I...I never knew most of them. I was only seven, and that was thirteen years ago..."

"I know," he quickly said. "But I know you, Sheena. Even if you barely knew them then, afterwards you would find out everything you could about them so you knew who these people who protected you were. You'd want to know exactly who gave their lives for you."

He really did know her too well, didn't he? And the thing was, he was right; after the funerals, she _had_ gone out of her way to learn about these people. But still...since when did he care about long-dead strangers like this? "You really want to know?"

Zelos smiled faintly. "Yeah, I do."

And the strangest thing was that he _meant_ that; she could see it in his eyes. She didn't understand his curiosity, but she couldn't deny his sincerity. But then, she did like his idea of honoring her people like that, and if he was willing to listen, then she would tell him, at least until he got bored with it. "Okay."

"Thanks," he said, his eyes soft, then he pointed at the first grave marker behind the statues. "Start with that one."

Sheena took a deep breath, then nodded. She could do this. "That was Chiyemi, Orochi and Kuchinawa's mother. Beside her is Daichi, their father. Chiyemi was a soap and candle maker. She made the finest scented soaps and candles Mizuho has ever seen, and to this day, no one's been able to replicate them. Daichi was a shoe maker, in addition to being a highly respected ninja."

"Go on," Zelos prompted as she paused.

She shook her head faintly, still marveling that he really did want to hear about these people, but then she laughed softly and started up again. One by one, Zelos lured out stories about every person there who had died that fateful day. And to her amazement, instead of being depressing, it actually felt _good_ to share their stories with him. Explaining why they'd been such good, hardworking, honest people made her feel like they were still alive and were sitting beside her rather than being forgotten names on a grave marker. And for guiding her to do that, she was immensely grateful to him. He had gone out of his way to help her through a day that would have otherwise been filled with guilt and sorrow for the people whose lives would one day be lost to time. But now she knew they wouldn't be forgotten, that their legacies would live on, that their stories had been shared with another person and maybe, beyond that, one day to another generation.

In the wind - a wind that felt warmer than it had an hour ago - Sheena was sure she could feel it: their spirits approved of the honor she was bringing them. They had accepted her penance and were granting her more time. And now, because of that, she could keep pressing onward and let peace and happiness replace the guilt and turmoil in her soul. Maybe one day, if she was lucky, she would even be able to accept this day completely and no longer look forward to it with dread.

And the truth was, she thought she might almost be halfway there already.

0~*~0


	2. The Boy

**Part 2: The Boy**

It was the chill in the air that woke Zelos the following morning. He wasn't necessarily _cold,_ but he could tell the room was, and that was one habit he'd had for years: when a room was cold, he had to warm it for the sake of any nearby ladies. Yawning and stretching, he rolled onto his back, opened his eyes, and blinked blearily at the dull gray light filtering through the windows, only then remembering where he was: on Sheena's couch, with a warm wool blanket covering him. She had apologized last night for how uncomfortable her couch was, but that hadn't stopped him from falling asleep anyway - at least once he'd gotten comfortable and smoothed out some of its lumps. He could tell he'd end up with a kink in his neck later (why these people filled their pillows with _red beans_ he would never understand), but eh, he'd experienced worse. In fact, he remembered the futons they'd slept on here during their journey being even more uncomfortable, so he really couldn't complain. Besides, he never would've let Sheena give him her bed while she took the couch; after last night, she'd needed a comfortable night of sleep far more than he had.

Peering to his right, he looked down at the _irori_...ah, the fire had gone out. No wonder it was so cold. He made a mental note to get up soon, toss a few logs into the pit, and restart the fire, but right then he couldn't convince himself to sit up yet. A glance at the window showed a typical, overcast, mid-winter morning sky outside, and then he rubbed the sleep from his eyes and stretched again before looking at the open bedroom door, spotting Sheena still asleep in her bed, curled onto her side and drowning in blankets.

Deciding to let her sleep, Zelos took a deep breath and looked around her home, a smile toying on his lips. It amazed him how something so simple could be so homey. She'd done a lovely job making this place her own the past few months, with more decorative scrolls, knickknacks, and books (and pictures, he noted, such as the twin to the picture she'd given him for New Year's that was sitting on the stand beside her bed, along with a few others she _hadn't_ given him) filling in the gaps. Granted, it was a bit messy, but that just added to the charm and made it look like someone actually _lived_ here, rather than being as neat and clean as a museum display, like his mansion was. While this place was small and primitive compared to his home, he still felt so _comfortable_ here - amazingly so, in fact. Sure, he missed a lot of things, like his 'one-touch fireplace' and electricity and refrigeration and faucets with running water, but this...it was still cozy and livable. It proved that while the luxuries he was used to were nice, they weren't _necessary_ , either. After all, Sheena was certainly getting along fine here without them.

He'd liked this place when he'd first seen it, and it had grown on him even more since then. Coming here always brought with it a sense of relaxation he'd never felt anywhere else - not in the most luxurious hotel room in Altamira, and not even in his own cold, orderly mansion. With a sigh of contentment, Zelos smiled and sank back into the lumpy couch, pulling the blanket tighter around him and breathing in the soothing scent of the sandalwood lingering in the air from the incense Sheena had burned last night.

For a few minutes, he just laid there, enjoying slowly waking, but finally he realized his face, arms, and feet really _were_ getting cold ( _that's what you get for sleeping only in a tank top and pants_ , he told himself), and if the temperature kept dropping, it would probably wake Sheena soon. He should get the fire going again. With a low groan, Zelos sat up and slid his legs out from beneath the blanket, wincing at the cool tatami mat beneath his bare feet, then he grabbed a few logs from a pile in the corner, set them on the _irori_ , and tossed a fireball at it, bringing it back to life. Finished with that, he glanced at Sheena, who was still asleep, and then decided to get some tea brewing so it was ready when she _did_ wake.

Once he'd started heating the water, he made a quick stop in the bathroom to clean up and then wandered back into the main room, heading toward the window behind the _irori_. Leaning against the nearest wall, he looked out at the village and smiled at the sight of all the wooden houses shrouded with mist, making the village look ethereal and hauntingly beautiful. He was surprised no one else was awake yet, considering that everyone here was usually up at the crack of dawn for their morning training, but then, considering how late Igaguri's dinner had run last night, he supposed they'd decided they could afford to sleep in for once. Regardless, despite the lack of activity, the village wasn't _completely_ silent, for even over the crackling fire he could still hear the sounds of birds singing, the leaves rustling, the tinkling of wind chimes, the river burbling in the distance, and the _souzu,_ a water fountain-like mechanism Sheena had once explained was designed to keep animals out of gardens, knocking softly nearby.

And it was at that moment, as he absorbed the serenity of the village, that he realized how much he'd actually _missed_ waking to this kind of calmness since their journey had ended. In Meltokio, the minute the sun rose, the city came to life. Servants left their houses first thing in the morning do to the grocery shopping; soldiers began walking around, removing any drunkards lying in the streets (some of which protested being hauled away rather vociferously); the church bells rang to call people to morning services. In some senses it still felt wrong now, as it had during their journey, to not hear the sounds of his home's own normal morning routine - Sebastian readying breakfast and the maids whispering as they cleaned - but still...he liked this, waking to Mizuho's sights and sounds. He felt completely at peace. He had occasionally wondered what mornings here would be like and if he thought he could grow to enjoy them the way he did his own routine, and now that he was trying it...yeah, he could get used to this. In fact, if this morning was any indication, Zelos thought he might actually grow to one day treasure it.

He'd been looking for those things here more this past month, ever since he'd decided to give Mizuho a chance to win him over: the good things about this place that he thought he might one day grow to like. It had taken a few weeks, probably because he'd been so busy in Meltokio ever since New Year's, when the King had decided he needed a temporary Foreign Minister while Minister Giannovio was suspended and had appointed _Zelos_ to fill that role, and as a result, he hadn't been here nearly as much as he'd wanted, but he thought he was finally starting to find them. Hearing Sheena's stories yesterday about the people who'd died during the Volt accident had been the start. While yes, he really had thought it might help her to talk about those people - and thankfully it seemed to - his _other_ reason for pushing her to do so had been purely selfish: because he wanted to get to know these villagers better, and that had seemed like as good a way as any to start.

Who were these people, really? He'd struggled with that question for months. They were always so hard to read because of how well they hid their emotions. From his perspective, every villager was a robot - simple, polite, but distant farmer-slash-ninja robots capable of killing him in mysterious, painful ways. He knew that wasn't true, but because they came across as so emotionless (a part of their culture, Sheena had explained once, to have a 'public face' and a 'private face,' something he could appreciate), that was the impression they gave. But if he wanted to give Mizuho a chance to win him over, then his first step was to see if he could relate to and connect with these people on any level whatsoever. If he couldn't, then he already knew he would never be able to marry Sheena and move here, not when it meant living with them. But finding the _people_ in the villagers was proving to be hard when they kept to themselves, constantly wore that mask, and didn't talk to him - and when he wasn't allowed to talk to them, either, as Orochi had made clear the first time Zelos had come here after he and Sheena had started dating.

Hearing Sheena's stories yesterday, though, had given him a better picture of the villagers themselves - dead ones, granted, but they were still representative of the whole. The little details helped most. He _liked_ hearing about the lady who enjoyed the strangest foods and was often teased about her tastes; it reminded him of Raine and her horrendous cooking. He _liked_ hearing about the young man who wrote the most beautiful, heartfelt songs and had a lovely singing voice, only he was also painfully shy and convincing him to sing was always a challenge, resulting in the villagers making up most ridiculous excuses imaginable just to hear one song. He _liked_ hearing about the gruff old man who spoke almost exclusively in one-word quips and grunts but who, when with his nearly deaf wife, would get a faraway look in his eyes and a soft smile on his lips and could wax poetic about her for hours, even though she couldn't hear him. Those were _real_ people, not robots. They were people he thought he could enjoy spending time with, maybe even living amongst.

The most helpful aspect, though, had been last night's dinner - awkward, but helpful. The villagers had all been surprised when he'd arrived with Sheena, and clearly uncomfortable, too, judging from their wary looks, but no one had questioned him to his face, either, and eventually they'd relaxed. Of course, no one had talked to him, either, besides Sheena and Igaguri, who as expected had asked him to recount their encounter last year with Volt. It had been weird, talking about Sheena while she'd been sitting beside him, but he'd done his best to be respectful with his praise, limiting his superlatives to 'incredible' and 'amazing' when describing how she'd demanded Volt's power and then kicked his butt. And the rest of the time, he'd kept his mouth shut and just listened to the stories. Unsurprisingly, Orochi had been pissed he was there - when _wasn't_ Orochi pissed when he was around? - and Zelos had overheard him asking Igaguri why he'd invited him, but even his warning glares at Zelos had tapered off once Zelos had given his account. Thankfully, that was the only hostility he'd felt there, and Orochi's hostility he'd learned to ignore months ago.

Once they'd eaten their simple yet tasty meal of rice, miso soup, and chicken (and oh, was he glad he'd paid attention when Sheena had taught Lloyd how to eat with chopsticks), they'd gotten into the meat Zelos had been craving that had been one of his main reasons for accepting Igaguri's invitation: a peek beneath the robotic masks to the grief amongst these people and their love for their fallen friends and family. He'd caught it in the gentleness in the parents' voices as they gently explained to their children, who hadn't been alive at the time, why the day was so important, and he'd caught it in the stories the villagers had recounted about their loved ones, some Sheena hadn't known, and others told in greater detail. Hearing them speak so fondly about their own had humanized them. Sure, they were still a mystery to him, but he'd also started seeing some cracks in their armor, and those cracks had encouraged him to keep digging and see what else he could find. One day he _wanted_ to care about these people, and this, he suspected, was the best way to do that.

The dinner had been somber and depressing, and he'd felt out of place there, never knowing if he should say anything, and the villagers' silence toward him had been unnerving, but he'd gotten through it, and he couldn't help thinking it had been a step in the right direction. What was more, the fact that only Orochi had objected to his presence was a hopeful sign that the other villagers might be getting used to him. The way he saw it, if he really was giving Mizuho a chance to grow on him, then he had to give _everything_ about it a chance to grow on him, and that meant spending time there, mingling with its people, abiding by its customs, and following its rules. Last night's dinner had given him an opportunity to sink his teeth into more than just a stroll through the village into Sheena's corner of this world, and he was immensely grateful that Igaguri had given him that chance.

Granted, he was still leery of spending time with Igaguri, since the longer he was with him, the more likely he'd be to say something wrong and get kicked out. Overall, though, he was still relieved Igaguri was letting him find the answers he needed, to the point of even including him in certain Mizuho functions and, most shockingly of all, tolerating semi-public displays of affection. Even if Igaguri really had invited him to the dinner solely to give his people closure and really hadn't seen anything romantic about how Zelos had been holding Sheena yesterday, it was still encouraging that he hadn't used those as excuses to get rid of him, because he certainly could have. It was encouraging.

And now...only five months remained until he reached his deadline, and then he had to figure out what to do about his future with Sheena. He definitely wasn't at the point of accepting Mizuho yet, but he was working on it. All he could do was keep his eyes and ears open for further opportunities to refine his view of this place. And so far, while things were moving slowly, they _were_ at least moving, and he refused to back off now that he'd finally taken a step forward with his slowly formulating plan.

Without warning, Sheena sidled up beside him and leaned against him, making Zelos jump at her sudden appearance. Wow, talk about being lost in thought if he hadn't even noticed she was awake; normally, his angel senses couldn't _not_ detect that. Quickly recovering, though, he gave her a smile and accepted the cup of tea she offered him. "Morning, sweetheart," he said, pressing a kiss to the side of her head and sliding his arm around her waist.

"Mm...morning," she murmured, closing her eyes and wrapping her free arm around him.

"Sleep well?" he asked.

"Mm hmm." Yep, drowsy, barely awake, hair-ruffled Sheena was, hands down, the sexiest thing he'd ever seen. She was silent a moment, but then she looked up at him, alertness slowly returning to her brown eyes. "You?" He nodded, and she watched him a moment before pressing, "The couch was okay?"

He laughed softly. "The couch was fine. More comfortable than I expected it to be after hearing your description of it, actually."

She breathed a sigh of relief and rested her head on his shoulder. "Good."

It was as she lifted her cup to her lips that he saw it: a black leather bracelet clasped around her wrist, through which was looped the lone iris pendant he'd given her last month. Last night was the first time he'd noticed her wearing it, when she'd pulled off her robe and settled against him on the couch, both of them wrapped up in a blanket as they'd watched the fire, before she'd fallen asleep and he'd carried her to bed. Normally it was hidden beneath her gloves and her sleeves, but when he'd seen it last night, his heart had caught in his throat and he'd found himself wondering how long she'd been wearing it. Right now, though, she still only had on the white shirt she wore beneath her robe, exposing the bracelet. And oh, how beautiful it was on her, the amethysts standing out against her pale skin. As he'd expected, she wasn't showing it off, as his hunnies would, but she was wearing it so naturally, as if she wasn't even aware of it, that it was obvious she'd been wearing it long enough to be used to it. That fact alone would have made him smile even if he had nothing else worth smiling about - and oh, did he have plenty to smile about, especially when it came to the warm-bodied, sexy, sleepy woman currently curled up against his side, taking another sip of her tea as she struggled to wake up.

Mimicking her action, he likewise lifted the cup to his lips and took a sip, savoring the warm liquid on his tongue. He really didn't mind this chamomile variety. "So how are you feeling today?" he asked, returning his lips to the corner of her forehead.

Sheena sighed softly. "Better. I'm glad yesterday is over, but it was still ca..." Her brows furrowed. "Cath...?" Zelos bit back a grin as she searched for the word, but then she growled lowly. "Agh, I can't think this early in the morning. You know what I mean."

She was so damn cute when she knew what she wanted but didn't _know_ exactly what she wanted. "Cathartic?" he supplied.

Her face lit up as she looked at him. "Yes! Cathartic. That's the word I wanted. Yesterday was cathartic for me. More so than I ever remember the day being before."

Zelos chuckled softly and gave her a squeeze as she leaned into him again. Good. Maybe the healing was finally beginning for her. It would take a long time to heal completely - he knew from experience how long wounds that cut that deeply did - but at least she was moving in the right direction. "I'm glad to hear that."

"Yeah...me too," she whispered.

They fell silent then, just holding each other, sipping their tea, and looking out the window at the mist-shrouded village. For several minutes there was no activity, but suddenly, out of nowhere, a flash of movement near one of the houses caught his attention. His eyes narrowed as he watched, making out a small, dark figure darting between the shadows, looking around furtively. It was a boy, Zelos deduced as the kid looked in their direction before sneaking over to the shadow of another house, most likely eleven or twelve years old. And then the kid looked their way again, giving Zelos a better look at him...wait. He recognized that kid. He'd been at the cemetery yesterday, hiding behind a tree as he'd peered at them, although the instant he'd caught Zelos looking at him, he'd run away. He'd been at the dinner last night, too, often watching Zelos curiously only to quickly look away whenever Zelos had noticed his attention.

Yesterday wasn't the first time he'd seen that kid here, though. In fact, nearly every time he'd visited Mizuho the past six months, he'd seen him - and every time the kid had just _stared_ at him, at least until he realized Zelos had noticed him, and then he'd always run off. It was weird. The kid was obviously interested in him, and yet he'd never said anything. There was something in his eyes, too, a look that always caught Zelos's attention. He wasn't sure what it was - maybe sadness, maybe regret, maybe guilt, or grief, or curiosity, or something just plain shy - but whatever it was, it was a strange look to see on a kid so young. For awhile he'd thought it was a Mizuho thing, that its kids were just that sad and _precocious_ , but he'd never seen it on any other child here. Actually, part of him thought he knew exactly what he was seeing and just didn't want to believe it. Whatever it was, though, it was speaking to him. And right now, after yesterday's progress and his newfound determination to find even more opportunities like that, he was struck by an impulse to dig, to find out if he was right. He wanted to understand it, and this was probably the best opportunity he'd get to make that happen.

Zelos motioned out the window with his cup. "Hey, see that kid over there?"

Sheena lifted her head, her eyes narrowing as she looked where he was pointing, but then she glanced up at him curiously. "You mean Michi?"

 _Aha, a name to go with the face!_ "Sure, Michi. What's the deal with him?"

"Hn?" Her eyes narrowed further. "What do you mean?"

"Tell me about him," he said, looking back out the window just in time to see the kid disappear into the forest. "There has to be a story there."

She blinked at him, confused. "Why? Has he been bothering you?"

Zelos chuckled and shook his head. "No, no, not at all. Just the opposite, in fact." Seeing her continue blinking at him, though, he explained, "Nearly every time I've dropped by, I've seen him...and every time he's been staring at me. The minute he sees me looking at him, though, he always runs off. He's never said anything, just _stared_ at me."

Sheena cocked an eyebrow, a smile toying on her lips. "And it surprises you that some random kid finds you stare-worthy? From what I've seen, every kid in Meltokio does the same. It's like they think you're the greatest thing to ever walk the earth."

He snorted. "What, you mean I'm _not_?" Sheena rolled her eyes, but before she could respond, he shrugged and went on. "No, seriously, there's something different about the way he looks at me, and I'm trying to place it. I can't explain it better than that. Whatever it is, though, it has me curious." He gave her a sheepish smile. "Just humor me. Please?"

For a moment, Sheena eyed him uncertainly, but then she looked back out the window. "Michi is...well, let's just say he's known in Mizuho for being a troublemaker."

"...Which is why you asked if he'd been bothering me." She nodded, and Zelos took another sip of his tea. So the kid was a 'troublemaker,' eh? That wasn't what he'd expected. He might not understand the look in that kid's eyes yet, but he _did_ know he wouldn't call it 'mischievous' or even 'malicious.' Maybe he should clarify before he started jumping to conclusions. " _Troublemaker_ , or _troubled_?"

Her eyes narrowed again as she looked up at him. "Both, actually."

That was what he'd thought. 'Troubled' matched that look far better than 'troublemaker' did. But he needed something else clarified, too. "Do me a favor and define the word 'troublemaker' for me, because I somehow doubt Mizuho's definition matches my own."

She observed him a moment, clearly still confused why he was asking about this, but then she sighed. "He rarely does what he's told to do. He often skips training sessions. He's always sneaking out of the village without permission, like we just saw. He argues a lot with his mother. We've even caught him stealing books from Grandpa's house."

"Oooh, stealing _books_."

"Priceless tomes with information we don't have anywhere else," she countered, grinning wryly.

"Ah." Zelos nodded slowly. Okay, so the term 'troublemaker' really could describe this kid. "And the 'troubled' part?"

Sheena looked out the window again. "Two years ago, his father died under suspicious circumstances. When Tiga and Kuchinawa found him, his neck was broken, there was a deep gash in his head, and he was lying at the bottom of a ravine a mile north of Mizuho. Michi was the only one with him at the time, and they'd had a nasty fight before that; they never had gotten along. A number of villagers suspect Michi killed him by either hitting him with a rock or by pushing him down that ravine. But Michi...he refuses to talk about what happened. No one can prove anything about what he did, so he's never been punished for it, but the incident has made the villagers wary of him, and the way he's always acting doesn't help. In Mizuho, children are expected to behave and respect their parents at all times, even if they disagree with them, but Michi never has."

"Definitely troubled," Zelos murmured, taking another sip of his tea.

"Yeah."

Well, on the bright side, at least now one of his questions had been answered: what he'd recognized in that kid's eyes was guilt, sadness, and loneliness. _Guilt, sadness, and loneliness, but definitely not murder, mischievousness, or malice,_ he clarified. And that knowledge, coupled with Sheena's account, just fueled his curiosity further. After all, he knew how it felt to feel guilty about that sort of situation, and as far as he was concerned, _no_ child should ever have to go through that.

"What about his mother?" he asked. "How's she handling it?"

"She doesn't know how to deal with him, especially when he refuses to listen to her."

 _No surprise there_. "People tend to lash out in strange ways when burdened with grief and guilt, even sometimes hurting those they love in their attempt to deal with it," he whispered to himself, then cleared his throat. "Any father figure at all since then?"

She shook her head. "Not really. Kuchinawa used to spend quite a bit of time with him, trying to help him out, but you can imagine how that ended."

"Mm." That couldn't possibly have ended well, considering the circumstances of Kuchinawa's banishment. In fact, that had probably just hurt Michi even more when he'd suddenly left, especially if Michi had liked him even a little. "Anyone else?"

"Orochi has tried to step in since Kuchinawa left, but Michi doesn't respond well to him."

Zelos couldn't resist grinning. "Gee, I wonder why?"

Sheena chuckled and nudged him with her elbow as if to say, _'Behave yourself_.' "At the start, Orochi was very gentle and kind with him, but Michi just didn't listen to him and so he had to _become_ strict to get results. Unfortunately, it's kept spiraling downward since then."

Hm. Zelos was getting the impression Michi had liked Kuchinawa. If he had, after all, that might explain why he'd lashed out at Orochi after Kuchinawa left, even if Orochi had initially been kind to him; he'd probably walled himself in emotionally, refusing to get attached to anyone else for fear they'd leave him again. Martel knew Zelos had done the same over the years; when feeling betrayed by someone he'd trusted, he'd often redirected it onto someone else, someone who probably hadn't meant him any harm.

He took another sip of his tea, then looked down at Sheena. "You see it too in him, don't you? A kid trying to bury his guilt?"

Her eyes briefly widened, but then she nodded, her face darkening as she looked back out the window. Yeah, he'd expected she would catch his meaning, considering how fresh yesterday was in her mind. "I thought that might be what you'd noticed. And yeah, of course I see it, too. I've tried talking to him, hoping to get him to open up to me and tell me what happened with his father, but he won't talk to me. He just... _stares_...at me." Zelos watched her a moment, but she didn't seem to make the connection, and finally he burst out laughing - which, naturally, drew a glare from her. " _What_? Why are you laughing?"

Oh, Martel, was she _serious_? "And it _surprises_ you that he won't talk to you?"

"Well, I tried!" she countered, pulling away a little and lifting her hands defensively, looking affronted. "I figured if _anyone_ knew what guilt felt like, _I_ did!"

Zelos shook his head, trying to rein in his laughter, because this really wasn't funny...even if it was. She really didn't get it, did she? "That's not the problem, sweetheart. The problem - and believe me, I mean no offense by this because I love women and you know it - is that you're female. _Of_ _course_ you can't get through to him."

Sheena set her cup on the windowsill, folded her arms to her chest, and watched him through narrowed eyes. "Go on. Just be aware that my 'pervert detector' is telling me you're treading on shaky ground here."

Beaming her a grin, he leaned against the edge of the window. "Sheena, that kid is what? Twelve years old?"

She tilted her head. "Give or take a year, yeah."

"Well, trust me, _no_ boy that age knows how to talk to a woman, especially one as sexy and voluptuous as you," he explained, choosing his words carefully, not wanting to piss her off. "I mean, look at Genis trying to talk with Presea. And when it comes to a woman like you...I told you, you're _hot_ , and I guarantee I'm not the only guy who sees you that way." He smirked as she arched an eyebrow but didn't respond to that. "Hell, even _I_ hadn't figured out how to act around women yet at his age. Back then, if you'd tried to talk to me looking like _this_ ," he motioned at her curvy, barely covered body, "I doubt I could've gotten over staring at your chest long enough to actually converse with you rationally, not without drooling all over you. Y'know, burgeoning pre-teen male hormones and all that."

She grinned wryly. "Yeah, well, for years you _couldn't_ converse with me rationally without drooling all over me. Heck, there are times even now when I _still_ have to remind you that my face is up here." Without warning, her hand shot upward, snatched his ear, and pulled his head up so he was looking at her face again. "Like right now."

Zelos smiled sheepishly, his face flaring. Heh...whoops. He hadn't even realized he'd been staring at her chest again. He truly hadn't _meant_ to stare because he knew how much she hated it, and he didn't want to give her any reason to doubt him or make her think he was only dating her so he could look at _that_ because it wasn't true (although, granted, it was a _very_ nice benefit of dating her), but it was just so hard to control himself sometimes, especially when that particular part of her anatomy was brought to his attention. Usually he could distract himself before succumbing to his baser male instincts, but occasionally he forgot to catch himself - and it was even harder to do when she looked like _this_ , wearing only a snug, low-cut, cleavage-revealing white top. He was just relieved she was currently _smirking_ at his whimpers of pain, not glaring furiously at him.

"Heh...sorry 'bout that, love," he said. "I got a little, um, _distracted_ there."

Not even a year ago, she would have stormed off angrily, beat him up, or called him nasty names - sometimes all three. But now, thankfully, she just continued smirking as she released his ear and folded her arms to her chest again. "I rest my case."

Zelos grinned right back at her as he rubbed his sore - but not _too_ sore - ear. "And so do I. Trust me, I seriously doubt that kid has anything personal against you. He just isn't comfortable opening up to a woman, no matter how much he can relate to you."

Her grin fell as she continued watching him. "So what are you saying?"

Hm. What _was_ he saying? He knew what his only recently embraced empathetic side was _saying_ he should do - and amazingly, for once it actually matched his own self interests. On the other hand, though, it wasn't something he could just _do_ , not without risking inciting Orochi's wrath. Although if he had _permission_ to do so...well, it was at least worth throwing the idea out there.

"I'm saying...mind if I give it a shot?" he said, giving her a hopeful smile.

Her eyebrows flew upward. " _You_?"

He nodded curtly. "Me."

Her brows furrowed as she eyed him. "I'm not saying 'no,' but I am curious why you care so much about some kid you've never even met that you'd go out of your way to try talking to him."

Zelos shrugged. "I'm not sure yet myself, but after everything you just said, I can't help thinking we might have a few things in common." His voice lowered, and his gaze flitted back to the window. "I mean, it's not like I don't know what guilt feels like for a kid his age, especially when it's connected to a parent's death."

Another glance at her showed that her face had softened. Oh, good - she understood that reasoning. What he couldn't tell her, though, was his _other_ reason behind this: to continue giving Mizuho a 'shot' by getting to know these people and trying to relate to them. Even connecting with only one person here would be a huge step for him, far more than the progress he'd made yesterday, and his gut was telling him he might actually be able to do that with this kid.

He would consider this to be an experiment of sorts - an experiment to see if he could connect with even one person here, even if that person was a troubled, troublemaking kid. If he couldn't even connect with a kid he actually had a few things in common with, though, then he'd have to admit that connecting with anyone else would be a long shot - which boded badly for his future with Sheena. This was probably the best opportunity he'd get to make that happen. If he could be a friend to this troubled kid in the process, well, that was even better. After all, Martel knew _he_ could have used a friend after his mother's death, when he'd acted out his confusion the worst - a 'friend' who wasn't Sebastian or a rod-wielding priest from the church. He'd eventually gotten to know the Pericheks, which had probably saved him from completely self destructing, but there had been awhile before that where he'd felt completely alone, as if no one cared about him, and he'd be damned if he didn't try to prevent this kid from feeling that way, too. It might work, or it might turn out Michi really _was_ an obnoxious brat who'd maliciously killed his father, but he had to _try_.

"You think you might be able to get through to him?" Sheena finally said.

"I honestly don't know." He smiled faintly. "But can it really hurt to try?"

She let out a soft laugh and returned his smile. "Of course not, especially if he's already shown interest in you." Without warning, her smile broadened into a smirk. "Although I have doubts about whether or not you can even get along with 12-year-olds, seeing as your interactions with Genis were always more antagonistic than anything."

Zelos waved that off with his hand. "Genis is a brat. 'Nuff said."

Her eyebrows rose. "I'm sure he'd say the same about you."

Well, okay, he couldn't argue that. "Yeah...probably," he mumbled, then cleared his throat again. "In any case, I think I can handle myself with this kid just fine."

"Maybe you can," she said, softer than before, eyeing him again. A moment later she shrugged. "Well, _I_ don't mind if you want to try."

Perfect. At least now he had the future chief's permission to begin his 'experiment,' just in case things turned sour along the way. "Okay. Then I think I'll do that." He grinned wryly. "Or is Orochi going to strangle me for _daring_ to speak to one of the villagers, especially a kid under his watch?"

Sheena snorted softly, mirroring his grin. "Well, I'm sure he's looking for any excuse he can find to do that, but I doubt Grandpa will let him. If Grandpa invited you to yesterday's dinner, then he won't let Orochi just kill you. In fact, after that I seriously doubt he'd even let Orochi talk him into banning you."

Oh, how he hoped she was right. After all, if this kid reacted badly toward him, he would be in serious trouble here. "Okay. I trust your judgment when it comes to knowing how your grandfather thinks." He pointed at her. "But if anyone raises a fuss about this, I'll have to tell them I got your permission to do this. You know that, right?"

"I know. I would never deny it. And I know you won't do anything stupid." She beamed him a cheeky grin. "Within reason, at least." Zelos chuckled and gave her a soft smile, touched - as he always was - by her trust in him. He then quickly finished his tea, pushed himself away from the wall, and gave her a quick kiss before heading toward the kitchen and dropping off his cup. He then located his coat and headed to the door, kneeling down to put on his shoes. Sheena arched an eyebrow as she picked up her cup, watching him work. "What, you're going after him right _now_?"

Zelos shrugged. "I know the general direction he's headed in, and very few villagers seem to be up yet, so why not?"

Shaking her head in obvious amusement, Sheena slowly walked toward him, meeting him at the door as he finished with his shoes and stood up again. "Okay. Suit yourself."

"I'll be back in a bit." He gave her one last grin and kiss, and then he was out the door, heading toward the forest where he'd seen Michi disappear several minutes ago.

0~*~0

With his heightened senses, Zelos had no difficulty locating Michi, having heard splashing in the river before he'd even reached the forest. Heading toward the sound, he soon found the boy kneeling on the riverbank, his black hair unruly and an upside-down bowl in his hands that he was trying to prop up on some sticks jutting up from the mud, with a rope attached to the middle stick. _Looks like he's setting a trap_ , Zelos deduced, meandering toward a fallen log and sitting down on it. It wasn't fancy, but it looked like it might just work. He scanned the area for what the kid was trying to catch, but all he saw was a frog on the other side of the river. Once the bowl was sitting on the sticks, Michi grabbed a small container, opened it, and carefully placed what appeared to be dead bugs beneath the bowl. Michi smiled, clearly pleased with his handiwork, then looked up at the frog.

"Nice trap you got there, kid."

Michi's head shot up and he jolted backward upon seeing Zelos, nearly falling into the river. The frog quickly jumped away - and, in his surprise, Michi accidentally knocked over the trap, sending the bowl flying. Zelos winced; whoops, maybe he shouldn't have startled him like that. Feeling bad for wrecking the kid's hard work, he was about to apologize, only the alarmed, panicked look in Michi's eyes quickly silenced his tongue. Uh oh, the kid was about to bolt. Opting to try a different tactic to calm him down instead, Zelos grinned, hoping to come across as harmless. For a moment, Michi just stared at him as if unsure what to do, but then a flash of red on the kid's hand caught Zelos's eye. Crap, that was blood. He'd probably cut it on a rock when he'd fallen backward. Okay, Zelos couldn't have _that;_ accidentally causing this kid to get hurt would definitely end his experiment prematurely, and definitely _not_ with the results he wanted.

"C'mere a sec," he said, motioning at Michi. "Lemme see that hand."

Michi looked down at his hand and his eyes widened at seeing the blood, but he didn't budge as he looked back at Zelos, either. It was obvious he was either too afraid or too shy to talk to him - and Zelos suspected he knew why.

Sighing, he kept his hand extended in invitation. "I'm not gonna bite. Honest." Still Michi didn't move, and finally Zelos motioned at him more urgently. "C'mon, kid. That cut looks nasty and I don't want it getting infected."

Michi watched him another moment, but then he looked around the forest again before standing and slowly approaching Zelos, hesitantly holding up his hand. Zelos took his hand, gently brushed the mud from the wound, and then closed his eyes and murmured the spell for First Aid. When he opened his eyes again, the wound was gone.

Grinning broadly, he dropped Michi's hand and looked up again. "Voila! Good as new."

The boy lifted his hand and gaped at it, wide-eyed, but then he looked up at Zelos and stared at him again, stunned. For a moment, Zelos thought the kid looked like he wanted to say something, but he didn't, and Zelos chose not to take it personally. After all, this wasn't the first kid he'd ever met who'd been fascinated with him but didn't know what to actually _say_ when given the opportunity to do so.

"Cat's got your tongue, eh?" Zelos finally said. "Well, you're welcome." Michi still didn't respond, and so Zelos patted the log beside him. Kids usually just needed time to regain their bearings when surprised like this. "C'mon, have a seat. That frog you were trying to catch hopped off, so let's see if we can spot another one for you."

Michi hesitated again, but finally he sat down beside Zelos, still watching him warily. Zelos smiled at him, then looked out at the river, eyeing the bank for anything Michi might want to catch, but he didn't see anything. Even though today was nicer than the past week had been, it was still midwinter, and it appeared the wildlife was making itself scarce. In fact, it was actually surprising Michi had found a frog at all in this cold - but then, Zelos didn't pretend to be an amphibian expert, so maybe this species simply defied the rules.

Even after a minute, though, Michi still hadn't spoken, and Zelos, uncomfortable sitting with a stranger too long in silence, opted to take another stab at conversation. "Weather's not too bad today, eh? The mist is kinda creepy, but it's also kinda mystical and ethereal. Actually, it's beautiful in its own way. And the temperature's nice for once, too. I bet if the sun came out and burned off these clouds, this would be a gorgeous day." Michi finally looked away from him, his eyes falling to his knees, but he still didn't respond, and Zelos bit back a sigh. _So much for the 'weather' icebreaker_. "Still nothing to say, huh? Eh, that's okay. You don't have to say anything. Is it okay if I stay here awhile, though? This really is a nice spot." Michi's eyes darted at him again, his uncertainty and inner turmoil obvious, but then his head lowered so slightly that Zelos wasn't even sure he'd seen it. Wanting more time to try to crack this nut, though, he chose to take it as a nod. "Okay, then."

Well, so much for small talk. That left him the option of not saying anything at all. And really, it was probably for the best, seeing as he wasn't sure what 12-year-old ninja boys liked to talk about. Besides, pushing someone too hard just made them uncomfortable. He needed this kid to accept he wouldn't hurt him, and until he did, anything else Zelos said would fall on deaf ears.

And _finally,_ after a few minutes, his patience paid off. "Mom says I shouldn't talk to you," Michi whispered.

Aha! And there, at last, was a voice to go with the name and face! Zelos had to bite back a laugh, though; based on what Sheena had told him, since when did Michi listen to his mother? "Oh?" Zelos said, glancing at him nonchalantly. He could already guess the answer to this, but he would ask the question anyway. "And why's that?"

Michi looked down at his hands. "She says you're a bad man and will corrupt me."

 _'Corrupt me even further than I already am'_ was his unspoken implication. Huh. Even Michi seemed to realize he was known in Mizuho as a troublemaker. Well, good. At least this kid was aware of others' perceptions of him; most of the kids Zelos had met didn't acquire any level of self-awareness until much later, if ever. That boded well for this kid's level of intelligence and maturity - which would, therefore, make him easier to talk to.

"Well, I have to admit, she's not the first person who's ever thought that about me," Zelos said, then cast another glance at Michi, surprised to find the kid watching him closely, almost eagerly, again. "Let me guess, Orochi talked to her about me, right?" Michi nodded faintly, and Zelos sighed. "Yeah, big surprise there; I'm not exactly on Orochi's 'good person' list." A moment later he cleared his throat and arched an eyebrow at Michi. "So what do _you_ think, kid? Do you think I'm a bad person?"

Michi blinked several times, watching Zelos again, his brows furrowing. " _Are_ you?"

Zelos chuckled. Talk about a loaded question. But how should he respond when he'd been asking himself the same for years now? Until he'd begun dating Sheena, in fact, his answer would've been a big, fat, ' _Yes, I am.'_ But Sheena...intentionally or not, she'd convinced him that he _wasn't_ as bad as he'd believed - or, if he was, that it wasn't so bad that some effort on his part couldn't start to make up for the pain his bad choices had caused others.

"Well, if I am, it certainly isn't intentional," he said carefully. "Some people, like Orochi, seem convinced I am, though, so..." He shrugged. "Maybe I am bad."

Instead of looking confused, though, Michi just looked curious. "Why do they think that?"

"Because I..."

Zelos paused, unsure what to say. If he wanted to get anywhere with Michi, then he had to find things Michi could relate to. Building trust was always tricky, and it was something Zelos knew he'd never been good at - probably because he was always so skeptical of everyone he met that it took him months to trust that the person in question wasn't looking for something from him. And the bottom line was that winning someone's trust was nearly impossible when _he_ didn't trust _them_. After all, why trust someone who didn't trust you? But Michi was just a kid, and this was only an experiment, and so his best bet was to take a leap he normally wouldn't in hopes of getting decent results. He didn't have time to go through the rigorous process of trust-building with a kid he'd just met and who was already wary of him, and so that meant honesty was his only real option. _Ah, what the heck - go for it, Wilder_ , he told himself. _Be honest._ _Weird, awkward, and uncomfortable or not,_ _ **let**_ _the kid see what you have in common. You'll never know how he'll react unless you try._

"I...I used to cause a lot of trouble," he finally said. "I got in people's ways and prevented them from doing things they wanted to do; I didn't show certain people the respect they thought they deserved; I neglected my duties, did some half-heartedly, and ran away from others; I engaged in questionable pastimes. All in all, I made some selfish, unpopular, bad choices that sometimes hurt people, and sometimes I made those choices for no reason other than to show that I could. I didn't _mean_ to hurt anyone, but it still happened. That's why certain circles deemed me to be a 'bad person.'" He turned his eyes back to the river and sighed softly. "The truth is, though, I was just sad and confused and lost and lonely and wanted attention and acceptance, and that was how I used to try to deal with it all. Well, that and I was trying to figure out who I really was, rather than just pretending to be the person everyone expected me to be." A glance back at Michi showed the boy was watching him closely again, his eyes wide. Zelos arched an eyebrow. "So what do you think, kid? Does that make me a bad person?"

Michi, bless his heart, only hesitated a moment before shaking his head. "I don't think so."

Zelos grinned and, taking that as the best basis for a friendship that he'd probably ever get, extended his hand to Michi. "Zelos Wilder, but you can call me Zelos. You are?"

For a moment, Michi just stared at Zelos's hand curiously, as if he had no idea what it meant - which he probably didn't, Zelos realized, seeing as Mizuho's people bowed in greeting rather than shaking hands - but finally he grasped it loosely, jumping slightly as Zelos shook it. "Michi."

"Nice to meet you, Michi," Zelos said, releasing his hand.

Michi bowed his head faintly, then fell silent again and looked away awkwardly. And again, Zelos just waited. Now that they'd laid the groundwork for a conversation, he wanted Michi to speak first so he could talk about...well, whatever he wanted to talk about. It was, after all, pretty obvious from all the times Zelos had caught him staring that he had _something_ to say, but he'd already determined pushing wouldn't work, and so he wouldn't.

Finally, Michi cast another shy look at him. "Why were you at the dinner last night? You're not from Mizuho."

Zelos let out a soft laugh. _Heh. That was probably the question on every villager's mind last night, yet only this kid has the guts to ask me to my face._ "Well, I didn't invite myself, if that's what you mean. Chief Igaguri invited me. I didn't think it wise to say 'no' to him."

Michi bit his lip, watching Zelos closely again. "Did you really help Sheena defeat Volt?"

"Yeah, I did. And not just me; our friends fought him with us, too. That's how she subdued him and convinced him to form the pact with her."

The boy looked down at his hands, blushing lightly. "Th...thanks."

Zelos arched an eyebrow. "For what?"

"Volt killed my uncle. I never knew him."

"Ah." And that solved another mystery. "That's why you were at the cemetery yesterday."

Michi's eyes snapped up to him. "You saw me?"

Zelos grinned. "I've seen you around here a lot, kid."

"O...oh." Dark, wide eyes watched him another moment, but then Michi looked down, absently rubbing his thumb over his healed palm - probably still tingling, Zelos figured, based on his own experiences with First Aid. Finally, he looked up again. "Are you really the Chosen?"

Agh, how he hated that title. But right now Michi didn't need to know that. "Ah, so you _have_ heard of me."

Michi looked back down at his hands. "Everyone calls you that."

"Well, except Sheena, and anyone else I'm good friends with," Zelos quickly clarified. After all, the people he cared about most _didn't_ call him 'Chosen.' Well, except Regal, and Zelos was sure that was just a reflexive title because of their respective positions in society. "And they're right. I am. Well, at least until I can get rid of the title."

Aha, _that_ got his interest. "You're trying to get rid of it?" Zelos nodded, and Michi's eyes widened. "Why?"

Zelos shrugged. "Eh, it just isn't something I want. It's not even necessary anymore, now that we got rid of Cruxis and the twisted system of Chosens sacrificing themselves to regenerate the world. It just doesn't seem right to keep something I really don't want and that only seems to cause problems for everyone."

Another silence followed while Michi watched him, but then, out of the blue, he said, "Your hair is...interesting." Zelos looked sharply at him, but a moment later he burst out laughing. _Oh, if I had a gald for every time a kid expressed fascination with my hair..._ Michi quickly looked away, embarrassed. "I...I'm sorry. Did I say something wrong?"

"No, no, not at all," Zelos replied, waving that off, but then he cleared his throat, trying to rein in his laughter. "You've never seen anyone with red hair before, have you?"

Michi shook his head. "Everyone here has black hair."

"Didn't you ever see my friends and me here during our journey?"

"Mom never let me out of the house then."

"Ah." That made sense. Since Michi was a 'troublemaker,' naturally his mother would want to prevent 'outsiders' from interacting with him for fear they'd give him even more 'corrupted' ideas. "Well, hair comes in all different colors, not just black. I have one friend with pink hair, and another with blue. Yellow, brown, white...I've even seen green and purple. Mine stands out because it's so bright, but it isn't the most unusual color you'll find." And suddenly he wanted to clarify something, because if he was right, it would explain a lot. "Have you been in Mizuho your entire life?"

Michi wrung his hands together, watching them as if they were fascinating, and swung his legs a little. "I've never left the village. No one's ever let me."

Just as he'd thought. The forest, the village, and maybe the lake were the extent of everything he knew, then. "Small world you live in, eh?"

"I hear the world's a lot bigger than Mizuho, though."

Zelos grinned at the hopeful look Michi gave him. "Yeah, it is. It's even bigger now that Tethe'alla and Sylvarant have merged. A lot of different people live outside Mizuho."

Michi motioned discreetly at him. "Like you?"

"Yeah, like me." And as Michi's hopeful look grew _pleading,_ Zelos suddenly got it, why Michi had always been so interested in him: because Mizuho was so secretive and protective of its culture, Michi had never met an 'outsider' before. It was only natural, then, for him to be excited at the prospect of talking to one.

Confirming Zelos's revelation, Michi looked down at his knees shyly, then glanced up at him again. "Where are you from?"

"Me?" Zelos said, leaning back on his hands. "I'm from Meltokio. It's a couple hours' walk from here."

Michi's eyes lit up. "That's where the king lives, right?"

Zelos nodded. "Yep, that's where the king lives."

"Have you met him?"

Heh. Talk about a transformation; within minutes, Michi had gone from quiet and wary to eager and enthusiastic. Zelos grinned. _So far so good_. "Oh, definitely. Many, many times. As the Chosen, I've had weekly, sometimes daily, dealings with him for years."

Without warning, Michi's face darkened. "Is he a good man or a bad man?"

Wow. _That_ came out of nowhere. He looked at Michi curiously. "Eh?"

Michi looked down at his hands again. "I...I always hear different things about him. Sometimes it seems like people like him since they say we should do what he says, but other times it seems like they hate him since they talk so badly about him."

 _Ah. Got it._ "Yeah, Mizuho has...issues...with him, doesn't it?" Zelos murmured. "Of all the people that report to him, they've always been the most likely to tell him 'no' - hence their shaky relationship with him." It was something Zelos had often admired about this place, even as other times he'd wondered why they didn't just suck it up and give the man what he wanted to get him off their backs. He'd spent years trying to figure out why they had issues with certain requests yet not with others. "I can see why you're confused. To be honest, he has moments of both. He really does mean well, and he's always looking out for his people. Some of his decisions aren't always the best, though, even if he thinks they are. He has a lot of power, and people have to respect him and do what he says, but that doesn't mean they agree with him. Mizuho is well known for questioning his commands; your people are very strong-willed, and so they're more likely to ignore an order when they disagree with it than most others are. And when that happens, he gets mad about it; from his perspective, he can't understand why people don't just do what he believes is best. That's why he occasionally comes across as 'bad' here. I know him, though. He isn't a bad guy; he's just stuck in a bad position sometimes." Zelos nudged Michi's arm with his elbow. "Don't worry. I've tried to keep him in line and have talked him out of some of his worst decisions."

Michi's eyes widened in obvious awe. "You can do that?"

"The Chosen can. And I'm doing my best to make sure that even when I'm not the Chosen anymore, I'll still have the opportunity to talk him out of those bad decisions."

"Good," Michi said, nodding curtly. He fell silent again, biting his lip as he continued watching Zelos, then gave him another hopeful smile. "So what is Meltokio like?"

Zelos chuckled. "You really are a curious kid, aren't you?" Michi nodded excitedly, which just confirmed his hunch: Michi wanted to hear about life outside Mizuho. Not that Zelos could blame him; Mizuho _was_ an extremely small, quiet village, and it couldn't take the kids here long to uncover every secret it had to offer, leaving them thirsting for more to explore. And then if that kid was especially curious, like Michi seemed to be...it was no wonder Michi had so many questions. "Well, for starters, it's huge - like, twenty times bigger than Mizuho. Most of its buildings are big and are made of stone, not like the small, wood buildings you guys have. The streets are paved, not just dirt and gravel, and there are always people walking around in fancy, colorful clothes. The castle, where the king lives, is at the edge of town, and the Church of Martel has a giant cathedral there, too. There are gardens, and lots of stores, and a research laboratory, and...oh, the coliseum is there, too."

Michi's eyes narrowed. "What's a coliseum?"

"It's an arena where warriors battle, to get stronger and challenge each other to see who's the best fighter. The audience watches and cheers on their favorites."

To Zelos's surprise, though, the light in Michi's eyes actually dimmed a bit. _Interesting,_ he thought. _Is it possible this kid isn't interested in competitive fighting? Most boys his age sure are._ But before he could consider that, Michi's eyes lit up again. "What kind of research do they do at the laboratory?"

 _Hm...no to the coliseum, but yes to the lab, eh?_ "They study the summon spirits and other elemental activity. That's where I first met Sheena, many, many years ago. I was studying magic at the time - like that First Aid spell I used to heal your hand - and she was learning about her summoning abilities, and we briefly crossed paths, although we never really talked until we ran into each other again at the Academy in Sybak." Zelos arched an eyebrow. "Do you remember Corrine?"

"You mean that talking fox that was always with Sheena?" Michi said.

Zelos nodded. "That's him. He was born in the elemental laboratory. The researchers created him so they had a summon spirit to study and for Sheena to practice with. He and Sheena became friends and she kinda... _stole_...him from there when she finished training."

"She stole him?" Michi said, tilting his head. "Why?"

Zelos sighed, remembering the stories Sheena had once told him about their mistreatment of Corrine, asking if he could help. He couldn't, but looking back now, he suspected he was the one who'd planted the idea in her head to take Corrine and run. He hadn't thought she'd actually do it, but several weeks later he'd overheard the researchers searching for the little spirit and knew it was her. And while he hadn't been able to tell her himself since by then he'd already pushed her away from him, he had been damn proud of her for doing that.

"Because in their eagerness to study him, they hurt him with their experiments," he said. "Pretty badly, too."

"...Oh," Michi said, his face falling. "That's not nice."

"No, it wasn't." Zelos smiled sadly. "He never forgave them for it, either. That's why Sheena took him with her."

"I'm glad she did." Michi looked up at Zelos again. "And you mentioned a place with an academy called...Sybak?"

Wow, he really was curious about learning institutions, wasn't he? Most kids his age made a point to _avoid_ thinking about school. Well, except Genis. And Seles those rare times she actually _talked_ to him rather than yelling at him about his choice of a girlfriend. "Sybak is a city about halfway between here and Meltokio. The Imperial Research Academy is there, so it's very intellectual. That's where Sheena and I first became friends. She spent most of her time studying summoner stuff in Meltokio, but they occasionally sent her to the Academy in Sybak to take a class or two. She wasn't doing well in her math class and was afraid she'd fail and disappoint everyone here, so I helped her out."

...Which he'd done until he'd realized he was falling for her, at which point he'd then done everything he could to make her hate him - something he now knew had never worked as he'd intended. She _had_ stopped having anything to do with him, though, which had been a bittersweet relief at the time. But the thought of how he'd hurt her then, and then for years after that, still killed him. He was truly amazed she had forgiven him for it at all when he definitely hadn't deserved it. Since he was determined to never hurt her like that again and had, he was pretty sure, done a decent job of _not_ hurting her so far, it would hopefully never become an issue again.

But Michi didn't need to know that, and so instead Zelos waited for Michi's next question, which soon came. "What do they study there? Just math?"

"Oh, definitely not. They study everything there. Plants, animals, medicine, history, geography, geology, physics, chemistry...you name it, they study it. They have different levels of studies, too - it's most well known for its university, but there are schools there for younger kids, too - and I can vouch for the quality of their education."

Huh. Michi's eyes lit up even brighter than before. "So they have books?"

Zelos grinned. "Oh, yeah, they have books. More than anyone could ever hope to read."

"Wow."

It actually looked like Michi's eyes were starting to glaze over. And again, Zelos noted, this kid seemed to be the opposite of most kids; fighting and the coliseum he'd ignored, but books and the Academy left him daydreaming. He cleared his throat to regain Michi's attention. "So what are you interested in, kid?"

Michi smiled brightly. "I like learning about the different plants and animals in the forest."

"Like frogs," Zelos said, motioning at the riverbank.

Michi nodded. "I wanted to see how long that one's tongue was. I've never seen that kind before. Oh, and I really like birds. They can fly anywhere!"

 _Well, technically, so can I,_ Zelos silently added, but since he wasn't particularly thrilled about being an angel (even if the flying part _was_ pretty cool) and didn't want to answer any questions resulting from mentioning that, he instead said, "Well, except in the water."

"Well, yeah, but that's what fish are for," Michi said with a shrug. "Oh! And I love looking at maps of the world. Sometimes I sneak into Chief Igaguri's home when he's out and look at them." His eyes widened and snapped to Zelos. "Please don't tell him I've done that."

Zelos chuckled and patted Michi's back. "Don't worry. My lips are sealed."

"Thanks. I wish I could go see those places, because they sound amazing." His eyes lit up again as he looked back at Zelos. "Oh, and that...First Aid?" Zelos nodded, and he went on, "That was really neat, how you did that."

Ah, so magic interested him, too. No surprise there. That was one thing Michi _did_ have in common with other kids: they were all fascinated by magic. It was just too bad most of Mizuho's villagers didn't possess those latent abilities. "Mizuho has healers."

Michi pulled a face. "Yeah, but what you did didn't involve tight, painful bandages or eating bitter plants."

"True, true." After all, First Aid, when feasible, was far quicker, more effective, and less disruptive than conventional medicine. "Well, unfortunately, not everyone can heal like I did. You need elven blood in you to manage it, and most people don't have that." _Or you need to ingest aionis like I did_ , his mind added, but he wouldn't mention that and get Michi's hopes up for something that would never become an option for him.

Unsurprisingly, Michi's face fell as he looked down at his healed hand again. "Oh."

Zelos shrugged. "Of course, there's always the slight chance you have some elven blood in you and just don't know it. You'd need a mana expert to check you out to be sure."

"I wish I could," Michi whispered.

Yeah, he definitely wasn't the first kid Zelos had met who was disappointed by that. And the best way he'd found to eliminate disappointment was distraction. Well, at least that was _his_ way of dealing with it - and thankfully, it worked more often than it didn't. He grinned and nudged Michi again. "Well, well. Looks like we have a budding scholar here, don't we?" _Which was undoubtedly why he's been caught stealing 'priceless tomes' before_ , Zelos realized. Heck, they probably matched the subjects he'd just listed, too.

As he'd hoped, Michi nodded, his excitement returning. "There's so much interesting stuff to learn! But..." His face fell again. "They don't teach us much of that fun stuff here. Mostly they teach us how to fight and hide and meditate."

Zelos's eyes narrowed. "And you don't like doing that?"

Michi shook his head. "I like the stuff they teach us about becoming one with nature so we can hide, but lately all we've been studying is fighting and ways to kill people. I've tried to tell them I don't want to be a ninja, but they say I have to, that I can't contribute to the greater good of the village unless I become one."

...And that would explain why he skipped so many training sessions. Zelos hadn't realized Mizuho _demanded_ its inhabitants become ninjas, and that it apparently didn't approve of its children choosing another route in life. No wonder they'd labeled him a 'troublemaker.' The people of Mizuho weren't stupid or mindless killing machines, not by a long shot, but they clearly weren't geared toward intellectual pursuits like Michi's, either. After all, their primary means of supporting and protecting themselves was to provide spy and assassination and other underworld-type services to the highest bidder.

Michi didn't fit in here...and oh, could Zelos relate to that. "I hear ya, kid."

"At least you aren't expected to become a ninja so you can hurt people," Michi mumbled.

Huh. He actually seemed like a pacifist, didn't he? And if that was the case, then how could Michi have intentionally hurt his father? Hell, he'd even been disappointed to hear about how Corrine had been experimented on. Zelos figured it was safe to dismiss the possibility that Michi's guilt stemmed from actually _killing_ his father; he didn't seem like he could hurt a fly. But Zelos needed more information before he could determine that. Something told him even if Michi had started opening up to him about certain things, though, it would take him awhile to feel comfortable talking about what happened that day. And to that end, all Zelos could do was keep working on building Michi's trust.

"No, you're right, I'm not," he said. "I sure had to study a lot of stuff I didn't want to as the Chosen, though, like all the Church's boring religious babble, the stiff customs and traditions of the noble class, and tedious Tethe'allan politics, stuff like that."

Without warning, Zelos's eyes widened as he realized what he was doing. Uh oh. If anyone in Mizuho heard him complaining about his life like this, it would give them the impression he was encouraging this kid to shirk his duties and follow his heart as Zelos had once done as a child. And if Michi were to take that message from this and declare he refused to become a ninja, Zelos would never hear the end of it. He was walking a dangerous line with this and had to be extremely careful what he said. As much as he wanted to encourage Michi to become who _he_ wanted to become, because that was what Zelos wished _he_ could have done, one of his goals was to make nice with Mizuho, and pulling this kid away from here because he didn't fit in definitely wouldn't accomplish that goal. In fact, it could get him in serious, maybe even ban-worthy, trouble here.

It was time to do some damage control - preferably without losing any trust he'd just built with Michi. "Of course, that doesn't mean I could skip out on all my training just because I didn't want to do it, either. Sometimes when you're growing up, and even sometimes when you're older, you have to suck it up and do certain things, even if you don't want to. That's how life works. There's always a reason for what someone wants you to learn or do, and it's usually a good one. Not always, but usually. There've been quite a few things I learned as a child that I hated at the time but that proved to be invaluable later on."

Michi looked down at his hands again. His frown indicated he wasn't happy about that, but at least he wasn't _upset_ about it, either. "I guess."

"Well, if it's any consolation, I don't think they're doing it to make you miserab-"

He abruptly stopped as his angel senses detected a distant sound. Michi looked at him curiously. "Zelos? What is it?"

Zelos blinked a few times, listening as the sound slowly grew louder. "I hear something...a woman's voice. It's faint, but she's calling your name."

Michi's eyes widened, and he looked around the forest. "I...I don't hear anything."

"Trust me, kid, I've got really good hearing," Zelos said, giving him a grin.

"Oh," Michi said, his face falling further. "Mom's probably looking for me."

Zelos's grin softened, and he patted Michi's back. "Yeah, probably. You should go to her. If she doesn't want you talking to me, then we shouldn't let her see us like this."

For a moment, Michi looked around again as if torn about what to do. Heh. So Michi didn't want to quit talking yet, eh? That boded well for this 'experiment.' "But..."

"Don't worry, I'll say 'hi' the next time I drop by," Zelos said. "How's that sound?"

Michi's eyes lit up again. "Really?"

"Assuming you aren't busy at the time, of course."

"Okay!" Michi replied, nodding eagerly. "So...when are you coming back?"

Zelos shrugged. "I'm not sure yet. I've been pretty busy in Meltokio the past few weeks, and the next few don't look much better, but the first chance I get, I'll drop by again." After all, he couldn't go more than a day or two at a time anymore without desperately wanting to see Sheena, so if she couldn't come see him, he had to go see her.

"Can I hear more about Meltokio and Sybak sometime?" Michi asked.

"You bet, kid. I've got plenty of stories about both." Hearing the woman calling for Michi again, he motioned at Mizuho with his thumb. "Now go on, before you get in trouble."

"Okay." Michi jumped off the log, hurried over to his bowl trap, grabbed the pieces, and stuffed it under a nearby bush, then he gave Zelos a smile and raced back toward the village. Before he was even three steps past Zelos, though, he stopped. "Oh, and Zelos?"

"Yeah?" Zelos said, turning back toward him curiously.

Just like that, Michi looked shy again. "Thanks for healing my hand."

Zelos grinned. "No problem, kid."

Michi smiled again, then waved goodbye and took off through the forest. Once he was gone, Zelos released a low sigh. Why were parents so overprotective of their kids? Wasn't twelve the age when kids should be discovering themselves, figuring out what they liked, and enjoying being a _kid_? By that age, most kids had figured out what was and was not dangerous and, to an extent, could fend for themselves - not completely, but they at least had the basics down. Zelos had always maintained that the most effective way to learn life's lessons was to _live,_ not to hide from everything difficult and uncertain. Some things kids needed to figure out on their own; some mistakes were meant to be made because that was how those lessons were learned. It was like parents had forgotten their kids were unique individuals and that they had to let their kids grow up and start walking on their own, just supervising to make sure they didn't _completely_ mess up. And then to limit what a kid could even be interested in? It was no wonder Michi was so confused and acted out; he was frustrated with the expectations and restrictions placed on him because they didn't match who he was. Granted, when Zelos had been that age, his parents had been dead, and yeah, Sebastian _had_ worried over him a lot, too, and he couldn't deny that when and if he became a father, he might view things differently, but for now, he maintained kids needed to be kids and parental over-protectiveness hindered them from doing so.

On the bright side, that conversation had gone surprisingly well. He already knew he liked Michi; how could he _not_ like someone who didn't feel completely in their element in Mizuho? Michi seemed to like him, too. _Just feed the kid's curiosity and voila, one talkative kid at your service_ , Zelos thought, chuckling. In fact, so far his experiment seemed to be going well, even if his 'test subject' wasn't a typical Mizuhoan. But still, considering the connection they'd already started forging, he was choosing to take this success as a hopeful sign that he might ultimately achieve the end he wanted. At the very least, maybe now someone else here besides Sheena and Igaguri wouldn't run away at the sight of him. And how could he _not_ be pleased with that kind of progress?

For a few minutes he sat on the log, enjoying the pleasant morning, until he couldn't hear Michi and his mother talking anymore. Once they were gone, he stood and headed back to Mizuho. While the village had been deserted when he'd left, quite a few people were up now, and he made a point to ignore the suspicious looks the villagers gave him as he approached Sheena's house. So much for keeping his sleepover here a secret; if it was later, it would look like he was just dropping by to visit her, but it was too early to pass as that. As far as he was concerned, though, venturing out to find Michi had been worth it.

Slipping inside Sheena's house, Zelos quickly spotted her throwing another log onto the _irori_. The sound of the door closing behind him alerted her to his presence, and she turned and smiled brightly as he bent to remove his shoes. "Hey," she said.

Oh, Martel, how he loved that smile. Seeing it now was just another reminder of why he _would_ see this experiment through: so he could see that smile and feel this excited little twist in his heart at knowing he'd caused it every day for the rest of his life. But he would only agree to the rest of what came with that life if it was right for _everyone_ , himself included. Because honestly, he refused to jump into anything like this unless he was _positive_ he could handle it - and that he'd be happy enough with it to know it would keep him here, with her, for good. He _would not_ make a decision prematurely just to make a decision, because doing so would mean risking one day finding he'd made the wrong one and, as a result, breaking Sheena's heart - something that wasn't even an option anymore.

"Hey," Zelos replied. Finished removing his shoes, he stood and stepped further inside. "Told you I wouldn't be long."

"No, I see that," she murmured, still smiling as she tossed one last log on the fire and then moved around the couch, sitting on the back of it and watching as he joined her there and leaned back beside her. "So did you find him?"

His eyebrows flew upward. "Sweetheart, have I ever not found _you_ when _you_ were wandering around in the woods?"

"Good point," she said, chuckling and folding her arms to her chest before turning expectant brown eyes to his. "So...?"

 _Big surprise: she wants a report_. She was already starting to slip into her future role as chief, wasn't she? "So it looks like you have a wannabe scholar on your hands."

Her eyes narrowed. "Eh?"

"Based on everything he said, it sounds like he's more interested in studying frogs and birds and maps than he is in fighting and becoming a ninja. I bet he'd feel right at home in a town like Sybak, far more so than he does here."

"...Oh," Sheena said, her face falling. "I didn't realize he had such Raine-like leanings."

Zelos nodded. "I get the feeling most people here either didn't notice that or ignored it."

"I could see that," she said softly. "Studying nature is a big part of our training, but it's usually pretty general and focuses on how we can blend in with it, not on the specifics, which it sounds like you're saying Michi especially likes. And unfortunately, those kinds of interests aren't generally encouraged in children here. With Mizuho's numbers so low, most of the villagers are afraid of losing even one child to outside interests, or they're afraid if their children's interests are split, they won't train as hard as they need to in the other areas and will become unskilled ninjas, so they force the issue by demanding strict devotion to certain aspects of our training and downplaying others. I'm not saying I agree with it, but I have noticed that."

That made sense. "I figured it had to be something like that."

Sheena was silent a moment before looking sharply at him. "So what did you two talk about?"

He shrugged. "Eh, he had a lot of questions about the world outside Mizuho, especially Meltokio, and he nearly started drooling when I mentioned the Academy in Sybak."

"No surprise there if he's interested in scholarship," she said, nodding absently, but then gave him a pointed look. "Just be careful you don't give him _too_ many ideas about the outside world, because I'm sure certain villagers would have something to say about that."

Unfortunately, it was probably already too late for that - he honestly hadn't realized how many 'ideas' he'd been giving Michi until after the fact, since _he'd_ thought those topics were innocuous - but the next time he talked to the kid, he'd be more careful. "Yeah, I know."

Sheena nodded, but then a teasing smile appeared on her lips as she nudged him with her shoulder. "So did you figure out why he's always staring at you?"

Grinning smugly, Zelos tossed his hair back and ran his fingers through it, showing off his wavy red locks. "He thinks my hair is cool."

Her eyes widened. "He thinks it's _'cool'_? He didn't actually _say_ that, did he?"

Zelos tilted his head. "Well, not in those exact terms, but I'm assuming 'interesting' in Mizuhoan translates into 'cool' in Meltokian."

For a moment, she just gaped at him, but then she burst out laughing and shook her head. "I should've known."

"Yes, you should have." Zelos grinned, mesmerized by the beauty of her laughter. Making this woman happy truly had become his favorite pastime. "In any case, I promised I'd stop by to see him the next time I drop by Mizuho."

Her laughter ceased and her grin softened into a shy smile, a faint blush settling on her cheeks. "Which would be...when?"

Oh, did he love how adorably shy she still became, even after six months, when expressing how eager she was to see him. "Whenever I start missing my incredible, gorgeous, kick-ass girlfriend, which generally means every time I manage to sneak out of yet another brain-numbing meeting with the king."

Her blush deepened and her head dipped downward oh-so-cutely, eradicating his ability to resist leaning in and giving her a quick kiss. "Well, any time," she said, her gaze falling to his lips as he pulled away. "The more often, the better. You know that."

Zelos's grin softened as he whispered, "Yeah, I do," before pressing another kiss to her lips. Sheena smiled shyly as he pulled away, leaving him wishing, for the umpteenth time, that he could sit there with her for the rest of the day, but then his stomach growled as the smell of food cooking became too strong to ignore. Pulling back a little, he motioned at the kitchen area and batted his eyelashes. "So is that breakfast I'm smelling?"

She shrugged. "Well, I _accidentally_ made two servings of rice and miso soup this morning instead of just one, and since throwing out the other would be such a waste...help yourself."

Heh. This woman had been hanging around him too long if a simple 'yes' had become an extended excuse as to why he could eat something. He chuckled and gave her one last quick kiss. "Thanks, love."

Sheena had already set the table, and so they quickly settled onto the mats and began eating while engaging in a bit of small talk, mostly about a popular classical music group that had just been announced to be playing in Meltokio in a few weeks. Wanting to enhance her limited knowledge of Tethe'allan culture - and because this group was apparently phenomenal - Sheena asked if they could go, and Zelos promised he'd try to get tickets. He wasn't sure yet _how_ because tickets had just gone on sale yesterday and had already sold out, but it was rare enough that she agreed to go to some happening like this, and especially to be sincerely interested in it, and so he _would_ make it happen.

It was as they were finishing that Sheena suddenly became quiet, occasionally glancing at him only to look away again, blushing. Zelos got the impression she wanted to ask him something, but why was she hesitating? After the third time it happened, his eyebrows rose expectantly, and finally she cleared her throat, her blush deepening further as she set down her chopsticks. "So...how long are you sticking around today?"

He bit back a smirk at her subtle message: _'I hope you can stay awhile longer.'_ Unfortunately, he already knew his answer, but her shyness and hopefulness suddenly made him curious how she would respond to this. "How long do you _want_ me to stick around?" he asked, leaning forward.

Her eyelashes fluttered a few times, but then she bit her lip and gave him an endearingly, heartwarmingly sweet, hopeful smile. "Is 'forever' an option?"

For a moment, all he could do was blink at her. Oh, Martel, she'd really said that, hadn't she? She wasn't just joking or teasing; she _meant_ that. He smiled broadly, his heart feeling like it was soaring and the knot of love, desire, and pure _want_ that was building in his chest making it difficult to breathe. And suddenly, he wished, desperately, that this damn table wasn't in the way so he could pull her to him, kiss her senseless, and tell her what he was trying to do, what he was hoping would come of his 'experiment,' and how much he _wanted_ to say 'yes' so he _could_ stay with her forever. He couldn't, though, not until he was absolutely sure. All he could do was choose to take this as a sign that he should keep working toward trying to make acceptance with Mizuho happen.

And so instead, he looked her in the eye, his heart pounding, and said, "I would say 'yes' except I have a meeting scheduled with the king this afternoon that I really can't get out of."

Sheena sighed, the hope falling from her face, but the smile that lingered behind told him she wasn't upset, just disappointed. "Darn."

Zelos mirrored her sigh and nodded sadly. "Yeah."

Her head sank downward as she ran her fingers absently over the edge of the table, but suddenly she looked up at him again, her hopefulness returning. "Then how 'bout we have a quick sparring match before you have to leave?"

His eyebrows flew upward, his interest piqued. "Sparring?"

She shrugged. "Well, I usually train early in the morning, and I don't see why I can't do that today, just because you're here..."

He smirked. Physically painful or not, he always had enjoyed sparring with her - a.k.a. letting her beat the crap out of him - because she was so good at it, and he admired her talent. Well, that and because it involved plenty of physical contact - and it meant he could enjoy the rare but lovely visuals of her using her lithe, voluptuous body in ways he dreamed about. "Heh. We haven't 'sparred' since the journey. This could be fun."

Sheena, naturally, mirrored his wicked smirk. "It always was."

Well, okay, so she was justified in having enjoyed that, because he really _had_ deserved being beat up back then. "Admit it: you just want to see me all sweaty and macho again."

She rolled her eyes. "Yes, that's it _exactly_."

"Thought so." He grinned smugly and ignored the mock-glare she gave him. Tilting his head, he observed her a moment, pretending to seriously consider it, but he quickly shrugged. There really wasn't anything to consider, after all. "Sure, I'm game."

"Great!" She abruptly pointed at him. "Just so long as you don't go all angel on me."

As if she had _anything_ to worry about. "Something tells me you could keep up with me even if I did, agile, violent, overzealous ninja that you are. But never fear, my dear; the Great Zelos wouldn't _dream_ of causing a scratch to such a beautiful female body as yours." She groaned and rolled her eyes again, but Zelos quickly beamed her a crafty grin. "And just to make this more competitive...what do you say we up the ante a bit?"

She eyed him warily, folding her arms to her chest. "What did you have in mind?"

"Hm...let's see here," he murmured, lifting a finger to his lips. He could think of a million things he could suggest as collateral, but he wanted something she might actually go for. After all, being killed for even suggesting certain things was _not_ currently on his agenda, especially after her implication that she might be okay with him sticking around 'forever.' Dying would, after all, ruin that prospect. Aha! Got it. "If I win...you have to come with me on a trip to a place of my choosing."

Her eyes narrowed further as she considered that, but the smile on her lips gave her away. Finally, she nodded. "Okay, fine. Deal." Without warning, she pointed at him again. "But I get to choose my wardrobe."

"You just _have_ to suck all the fun out of it for me, don't you?" Zelos whined, but when her eyebrow rose, signaling that was non-negotiable, he waved that off with his hand. "Oh, all right, fine. You can choose your wardrobe."

Sheena nodded curtly. "Good. And if _I_ win..." She bit her lip, eyeing him again. "If I win, you have to give me another one of those incredible back massages."

Zelos burst out laughing. Of all the things she could ask for, she chose _that?_ "Sweetheart, the whole point of 'upping the ante' is to demand something the other person wouldn't normally give you or get any enjoyment from. And I would be _thrilled_ to give you one of those anytime you want. All you have to do is ask."

"Yeah, well, chances are I'd be happy to come with you on a trip to anywhere you chose, too, so I could say the same about _your_ bet," she countered, looking so pleased with herself that he could barely resist laughing again.

"Ah, an _excellent_ point, my dear." He grinned broadly. "I kinda like it when we both win."

She chuckled, her eyes falling downward as all smugness left her. "Me, too."

Oh, if she only knew how that look of utter, adorable shyness made him want to wrap his arms around her, kiss her, and never let her go. But right now, alas, that wasn't an option. If they were going to spar, then they had to get going. "So I'm happy with our bets." His eyebrows rose. "You?"

Sheena nodded happily. "Yeah, me, too."

"Great!" Zelos flashed her a mischievous grin as they both stood, leaving their plates on the table to be dealt with later. "Then let's tango, Sexy Ninja Girl."

A wicked grin erupted on her face as they headed toward the door to collect their shoes and weapons. "Bring it on, Pretty Angel Boy."

Zelos stopped short. _"Pretty Angel Boy_?" he countered, wrinkling his face in distaste and lifting a hand to his chest. "What am I now, a choir boy dressed up as an angel for the Great Martel Festival's annual fundraiser?" He sighed and shook his head sadly. "Love, one of these days we _really_ have to work on your nicknaming skills."

Sheena giggled - she actually _giggled,_ a sound Zelos instantly fell in love with - and quickly stepped over to him, gently grasped his neck, pulled his head down to hers, and pressed her lips to his in a tender, _'shut up, you idiot'_ kiss that promptly silenced him. She then pulled back, grinning as he blinked at her, stunned by the kiss, but before she could step back, he smirked, grabbed her arm, and pulled her back to him for a deeper, longer kiss that she quickly returned, her hands weaving into his hair and holding him to her as his arms slid around her back. And...oh, yeah, there was that moan that, even after six months, he still craved hearing from her. A voice in the back of his mind was trying to tell him they were on a tight timeframe and needed to get going, but he soundly ignored it. After all, how could he care about meeting with the king when he was kissing her?

When they finally separated, Sheena beamed him a beautiful smile before darting away and heading for her shoes, and Zelos took a deep breath, his body still tingling, and followed her, returning her smile. Once he had his shoes on, beating her since her boots had more buckles to latch, he grabbed his sword where it was leaning against the wall and reached for the door.

Before he could open it, though, she stood, grabbed his arm to stop him, and whispered, "Zelos?"

His eyes narrowed as he looked at her, surprised by the sudden return of her shyness. "Yeah?"

Her gaze fell to his chest, another blush coloring her cheeks. "Thanks."

Oh? As much as he loved doing something she appreciated, he also liked knowing _what_ he'd done that she was thanking him for. "For what?"

Her eyes darted briefly up at his before returning to his chest, her blush deepening. "For coming here for me yesterday. And for coming to dinner last night and for staying overnight, too." She bit her lip and met his eyes again. "I'm glad you were here. It helped more than you could know."

Zelos's heart skipped a beat. And to think, at one point yesterday morning he'd wondered if he would even be welcome here. "You're welcome, sweetheart," he whispered, brushing a few stray locks of dark hair behind her ear, his fingers lightly grazing her cheek. "After everything you've done for me, I'm just glad I could help."

"Well, you definitely did," she said, her dark eyes softening further. "I love you, Zelos."

He grinned broadly. "I love you too, Sheena."

She watched him another moment, then rewarded him with one last sweet kiss that melted his heart further. Every single kiss just made him fall harder for her, it seemed - and oh, how he hoped this feeling would never end. He was even more determined now than ever to proceed with his 'experiment' - and based on how things had gone with Michi, so far it looked promising. And if her 'forever' just now meant what he _hoped_ it meant, then that was even more reason for him to proceed with this. It was an amazingly good sign, a peek into her mind regarding her thoughts about their future, and he wouldn't let her down. As he'd found repeatedly these past six months, when you truly loved someone, that love could lead you to do things you never would have considered doing before - and, what was more, actually _enjoy_ doing them, too. Zelos had lost track long ago of how many things he'd done now that fit that criteria, and this one...well, this one he really, _really_ hoped would become another. And it was looking more likely that Sheena wanted it to be, too.

 _I'm working on it, Sheena. Just give me a little more time. I'm going to prove that your love and faith in me isn't misplaced. And then hopefully, with a little luck and a whole lot of work, the future will bring us not only what_ _ **I**_ _want, but what I really hope_ _ **you**_ _want, too_.

0~*~0

Unfortunately, the next two weeks proved to be extremely busy while Zelos tried to calm down the disgruntled mayor of Flanoir, who insisted Giannovio had promised months ago to finally start using their tax money to fix their roads and improve communication lines with the rest of Tethe'alla but hadn't done a thing so far, and so his 'Michi experiment' was put on hold. Sheena had regularly dropped by Meltokio to see him (thank Martel, or he would've gone insane from missing her), and the one time he'd managed to drop by Mizuho, Michi had been training with Orochi and Zelos had opted not to interrupt. He had, however, given Michi a grin and a wave while Orochi was distracted, not wanting Michi to think he'd forgotten about him. While Michi had looked happy to see him, he hadn't looked happy overall, which Zelos attributed to Michi's apparent dislike of fighting. It made Zelos wonder how much Orochi knew about Michi's real interests, if he hadn't noticed them or if, as Sheena had implied, he'd dismissed them because they weren't 'relevant' to ninja training. No wonder the kid was so frustrated; Zelos had never liked people dismissing _his_ interests, either, just because they weren't appropriate for the Chosen.

And now, over two weeks later, the crisis with Flanoir had been averted ( _and it's yet another red mark on Giannovio's name_ , he thought, smirking, _not to mention there's that_ _ **other**_ _rumor I need to discuss with Sheena ASAP_ ), and Zelos was finally dropping by Mizuho again. Instead of going straight to the village, though, he decided to take a detour to the spot in the forest where he'd found Michi the last time...and sure enough, there the kid was, sitting on the same fallen log, writing on a sheet of paper. He looked like he was frowning, but Zelos was going to do what he did best: pretend he didn't notice it and try to cheer the kid up, at least until he'd figured out what was wrong.

"Hey, kid."

Michi's eyes widened and his head snapped upward...and he grinned broadly as he noticed Zelos approaching. "Hi, Zelos."

Oh, how good it was to hear Michi call him by his _name_ , not by that godawful title. And the best part was that his latest meeting regarding its removal had actually gone well, with the Church _finally_ admitting that no, the Chosen _wasn't_ necessary anymore. Heck, they'd even admitted that the people would probably get used to the position being gone instead of demanding their precious Chosen back! While the actual annulment still hadn't happened, and it wouldn't until they'd worked out all the details about where the money went and who would pick up the responsibilities (not to mention whether or not those responsibilities were even necessary anymore), at least he was finally seeing a finish line ahead of him.

He motioned at the log where Michi was sitting. "Mind if I...?"

Michi quickly scooted over, making room for him. "How did you find me here?" he asked.

Zelos grinned as he sat down beside him. "Remember what I said? I have excellent hearing. I heard you cough a minute ago and followed the sound."

"Oh...right. I guess you really _do_ have good hearing."

Deciding not to dwell on that for fear of having to explain _why_ he could hear so well, Zelos instead motioned at the paper in Michi's hands. "So whatcha doin'?"

Michi pointed across the river. "I put some seeds and nuts on that stump over there. There's a squirrel that lives in that tree," he pointed at a tall tree near the stump, "and I wanted to see what kinds he likes most."

So Michi was performing a little experiment of his own, eh? "At this time of year, I'd think he'd go for whatever he could find."

Michi shook his head. "He's avoiding the safflower seeds and only eating the nuts and sunflower seeds."

Zelos tilted his head a little. "Huh. Guess he doesn't like that kind."

"I don't think so." He pointed at another tree. "And there's a sparrow making a nest in that tree, so I put out some materials for her. She's taking the plain rope but leaving the wool."

Zelos's eyes narrowed. "Really? I wouldn't have expected that, either. Not just that she's making a nest this early in the year but that she's so picky about what she's using."

"The wool is dyed, so I'm guessing she doesn't like that," Michi said, looking at him again.

"Huh. Pretty colors created by chemicals versus bland colors with no chemicals. People prefer the pretty colors; that little bird must not like those particular chemicals."

"That was my thought, too."

Zelos watched the stump as a bird suddenly swooped down, picked up a piece of undyed rope, then flew off with it. "Heh. You're pretty observant, kid. Good deductive skills, too."

Watching Michi's face light up was amazing - but it was also sobering since it made Zelos wonder if it meant he wasn't used to being complimented. "Experimenting is fun!"

"Yeah, it is." While experimenting with objects or creatures had never been his thing - he'd preferred experimenting with people by seeing what reactions he could lure from them - he could certainly appreciate a curious mind like Michi's. And...aha! He couldn't forget _that_ , now, could he? "Oh, hey, and while I'm thinking of it...I brought you something."

Michi's eyes narrowed as Zelos began digging through his bag. "Huh?"

"Ta da!" Zelos pulled out a colorful, hardcover book. "Here ya go, kid."

"What is this?" Michi asked, taking the book from him and tentatively cracking it open.

"It's a book I had in my personal library on forest creatures," Zelos replied. "I've never read it myself - obviously, or I would've known squirrels didn't like safflower seed - and I thought it might get better use in your hands, so...have fun with it."

Michi's eyes widened as he began flipping through the pages and saw all the pictures, some actual photographs and others colored sketches of the creatures. "Wow." He stopped on a few pages, looking at the pictures and the information, then looked up at Zelos, not even trying to restrain his excited grin. "I'll give it back to you next time you're here."

"Nah, don't worry 'bout that," Zelos said, waving that off. "You can keep it."

He blinked, stunned. "R...really?"

Zelos grinned and patted his back. "You bet, kid. It's yours now."

Michi gaped at him another moment, then he looked down at the book before giving Zelos a shy smile. "Thank you, Zelos. I've never had a book of my own before."

"Thought you might like that." Thinking of something, though, his grin faded. "You might want to keep it at Sheena's place and go there to look at it, though. Overprotective parental units have a knack for sniffing out things like this, and I don't want you getting in trouble for having it." _Or getting_ _ **me**_ _in trouble for having given it to you_ , he silently added.

Michi nodded, his smile brightening again. "Okay."

He continued flipping through the book another minute, occasionally stopping to read something, but then he closed it and looked up at Zelos uncertainly, his smile falling. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but then he closed it again and looked back down at the book. Zelos's eyes narrowed as he waited for Michi to go on, but all the boy did was look up at him and then back at the book again. While he wanted the kid to feel comfortable talking to him, the longer they waited, the more likely it would be for someone to find them there, something they couldn't have, so it was time to push.

"Y'know, Michi, if there's something you want to ask me, go ahead."

Michi bit his lip, observing Zelos again carefully. "Even if the question is rude?"

Zelos's eyebrows fly upward in surprise, but then he grinned. "Believe me, kid, I've asked more than my share of rude questions. Somehow I doubt anything you come up with could top some of those." Still Michi didn't respond, though, and finally Zelos motioned at him again with his hand. "Seriously, go ahead. Ask whatever it is you aren't asking."

Michi watched him again, then he looked down at the book, then back at Zelos. "Why do you keep coming here?"

Hm _._ Zelos wasn't sure what Michi was getting at, but he decided to take a stab at it. "Well, you seem like a good, smart kid, and I can't say I mind talking to you." His eyes narrowed uncertainly. "Is that what you mean? Why I keep coming here to talk to you?"

A light blush settled on Michi's face as he shook his head. "I mean, why do you keep coming to Mizuho when no one here likes you?"

"Ah." And there was the 'rude question' that had made Michi hesitate - not that Zelos could take it as such when Michi seemed sincerely curious about that rather than meaning it as an insult. He grinned. "So you caught the whole 'nobody here likes me' thing, did ya?"

Michi looked down at the book and nodded. "I heard Orochi yelling at you a few months ago and telling you to leave and not to talk to anyone. I've heard him yelling at you a couple times since then, too."

And oh, had some of those been doozies. Even hearing _one_ of those 'heated arguments' would tell a listener that Zelos wasn't welcome here. "Yeah, well, that's because Orochi doesn't like that I like Sheena and that Sheena likes me, especially since he sees me as a 'bad person.' If it were up to him, I would've died years ago."

A glance at Michi showed he was watching him again. "Do you like Mizuho?"

Heh. Leave it to a 12-year-old kid to unwittingly ask the very question Zelos had been struggling to answer ever since he'd learned about Sheena's marriage requirement. Too bad he still didn't have an answer. He shrugged, deciding honesty was the best policy - even if was vague and indirect honesty. "It's okay. It's a lot different than what I'm used to. Different culture, different mindsets and attitudes, different traditions and priorities."

"But you like Meltokio better," Michi said.

Okay, seriously, how should he answer _that_? So much for honesty; all that would do was give Michi 'dangerous ideas.' "I'd be lying to say I didn't," he said carefully.

Michi nodded knowingly and looked back at his book. "This place is boring."

 _Oh, do I hear ya, kid_ , his mind returned - but he bit his tongue before he could open his mouth and stick his foot in it. No, the extent of that sentiment was something Zelos would definitely keep to himself. "I'd be lying to say I didn't agree with that, either."

"I hate it here," Michi mumbled, frowning as he ran his thumb over the book's binding. "They don't let me do anything fun, like travel and read books and study squirrels. They don't like me or want me here, either. Everybody hates me and acts like I'm a pest. All they want me to do is learn to fight and kill. I don't _want_ to hurt people! And if I tell them that, they get mad at me and say I'm useless to them unless I learn that stuff, and now they want me to begin _real_ ninja training this coming summer! I wish I wasn't stuck here and could go anywhere else." He motioned at Zelos. "And you can! You don't have to be here. Why do you keep coming here when you don't have to?"

Just like that, Zelos got it, why Michi was so fascinated with him: not because of his hair, although that was an obvious curiosity for a boy living in a village with little genetic diversity, but because he _chose_ to come to a 'boring' place where he 'wasn't wanted.' Michi was envious of his ability to leave and couldn't fathom why Zelos came here when he didn't _have_ to. And really, he realized, he would probably feel the same in Michi's position.

Zelos sighed, unsure how to explain this without giving away too much. While he trusted Michi not to spill his true intentions to anyone, seeing as Michi was obviously leery of the other villagers, the kid was also emotionally shaky. If someone set him off, he could accidentally say something and not even realize it until too late, and Zelos couldn't have Sheena hearing even an inkling about his current train of thought until he'd reached certain conclusions. He needed to be extremely careful. While he couldn't relate to the specifics of Michi's hatred of fighting, because he'd always deemed fighting to be 'cool,' not to mention he'd learned long ago that being the Chosen meant he had to be able to defend himself, he _could_ relate to being forced to do something he didn't want to do. His entire life, after all, had been one gigantic series of things he'd been forced to do against his will.

"Well, I'll admit I've spent months pondering that very question. No, this place isn't my favorite, and it isn't somewhere I'd normally choose to go. I've known that since I first came here. I don't fit in here, and I probably never will. Your people will probably never accept me, either." He gave Michi a pointed look. " _However_ \- and believe me, kid, I mean this - my personal opinion about this place isn't the only factor I have to take into account. There's an exception, and it's a huge one. I bet you already know what it is, too."

Michi's dark eyes fell downward. "Sheena."

"Exactly. It boggles my mind, but she likes it when I come here to see her, and that alone invalidates any desire I might have to avoid this place."

"You love her," Michi stated with surprising certainty, looking up at him again.

Zelos arched an eyebrow. Not a single villager had ever dared imply that, not even Orochi, and the last person he'd expected to do so had been a _kid_. Even though he and Sheena had been extremely careful to avoid public displays of affection here, the message had clearly still gotten across. And if _Michi_ knew that, then everyone else must, too, based simply on the fact that Zelos was always here even though he 'didn't have to be.'

Thankfully, Michi didn't seem to be trying to trap him into saying something he shouldn't, nor did he seem disgusted by the thought that they were in love, so Zelos felt safe nodding. "Far more than I'm allowed to say aloud in this village."

Michi returned his nod and looked out at the river, a faint smile appearing on his lips. "Sheena is really...pretty."

Heh. Zelos grinned as he saw Michi's eyes glaze over. "Yeah, she is."

"Really, _really_ pretty," Michi murmured.

Zelos broke out laughing and patted Michi's back, sensing exactly _what_ about her he found to be 'really, _really_ pretty.' "Whoa there, tiger. Sorry, kid, but Sheena's already spoken for. And trust me, when it comes to women, looks aren't everything; personality, intelligence, compatibility, and inner beauty are all just as important. With Sheena, it's the entire package I love, not just her looks." And he couldn't believe _he_ , the Great Zelos, had just said that, but there it was, and he sure as hell meant it. Being with Sheena had more than taught him the _true_ meaning of the word 'love' and how it differed from 'lust.' There was nothing wrong with lust, but there was so much more to a relationship than that. "There've gotta be other girls here your age that you're interested in."

Michi's face fell, answering Zelos's question in the affirmative. "I can't talk to any of them."

"Your mother won't let you?"

He shook his head. " _Their_ mothers won't let _them_ talk to _me_."

"Ah. Gotcha."

They wouldn't let their daughters talk to him because he was a 'troublemaker' - and the word 'troublemaker' carried with it expectations that Zelos knew well. Never mind that this kid was a 'troublemaker' in a way that had nothing to do with chasing after women, like it had with him. Michi was a perfectly good kid, just a little confused and frustrated, and that manifested itself in 'troublesome' ways. It undoubtedly didn't help if Michi didn't know how to deal with girls yet, either, and instead just stared at them, as Sheena had said he'd done with her; staring was usually interpreted the wrong way, not as uncertainty about what to say but rather that he was a drooling, perverted idiot.

On the bright side, Zelos could certainly give him some pointers. Granted, he wasn't sure what typical male/female pre-teen relations were like in Mizuho, but certain things were universal. "Well, I'm sure they couldn't complain if you talked to them nicely. Just don't gawk at them, okay? Girls don't like that; I lost track years ago of how many times Sheena smacked me for doing that." ...Oh. Wait. He let out a humorless laugh and tilted his head as he pictured Greta and Cecelia and his gaggle of hunnies in Meltokio. "Well, okay, _some_ girls like it when you gawk at them, but those aren't the girls you should be pursuing." He paused, shaking his head again. "And I can't believe I just said _that_ , either." Michi's eyes narrowed, and Zelos waved that off. "Eh, ignore me, kid. Just talking to myself."

Michi still seemed confused, but he accepted it, looking down at his knees. "I...I'm not sure how to talk to them, even if I could."

Zelos smiled. _Ah, the bane of many a young, prospective paramour._ "Yeah, it takes awhile to figure women out, and even then, you'll probably never _completely_ figure them out. I've spent years trying to do just that, and occasionally they still throw things at me that I wasn't expecting. Just be nice to them. They like heartfelt, sincere compliments. And they _really_ like it when you make them feel special, like they stand out from other women. Every woman has something about her that makes her special; you just need to figure out what it is, and trust me, she'll love it when you do. If you ever need any pointers, let me know. I've had my fair share of dealings with them." Which was the understatement of the year. He could just imagine what Sheena would say about that. He quickly cleared his throat. "But something tells me girls aren't your top priority right now; you seem more interested in studying animals and different places." Michi didn't respond, but as Zelos expected, his eyes lit up again, confirming his hunch. Michi was still a little young to be obsessed with girls to that extent yet. "In any case, so yeah, Sheena is my main reason for coming here. And since Chief Igaguri has made it clear he doesn't mind if I'm here, I'm taking that as an invitation."

"Well, I like having you here, too," Michi said, giving him a faint smile.

...Wait, what? Had he just heard that right? "Really?"

Michi nodded. "You're nice and you're interesting and you don't yell at me for having fun."

Zelos smiled faintly. Wow. Who would've thought? "Heh. I'd be the biggest hypocrite in the world if I yelled at you for doing that. But thanks, kid. I'm glad to hear I'm up to three people now who can at least tolerate my presence here." Michi returned his smile, and Zelos cleared his throat again. Time to get back on topic. "Anyway, what I'm saying is that sometimes it isn't the place itself that matters; it's the people _in_ that place. I mean, I'm sure you care about _someone_ here, right?"

Michi considered that a moment, his head falling downward. "My mom," he finally said, his voice soft. "And my little sister."

Whoa, really? Heh, Sheena hadn't mentioned _that_. "No way!" he said, nudging Michi with his elbow. "You've got a little sister, too?"

"You do, too?" Michi said, looking sharply at him.

Zelos grinned. "Yup, yup! Sure do. I don't get to see her all that often because she's studying at the Academy in Sybak..." _...and because she's a royal pain in the ass when I_ _ **do**_ _drop by to see her..._ "...but yeah, family is a good reason to choose a place to live, even if you don't care for that place yourself."

"Hamako doesn't like me, though," Michi said, his face falling. "She blames me for..."

His voice trailed off, and Zelos bit his tongue instead of pushing him to finish. He already knew what Michi was talking about, even if Michi didn't know that he knew, and he didn't really want Michi to feel pressured to talk about something he wasn't ready to talk about. He nodded somberly. "I know. Mine, too. Seles isn't my biggest fan, either." Michi looked at him, wide-eyed, the question obvious in his eyes. As much as Zelos hated talking about this...well, if it helped Michi feel more comfortable with him, then so be it. "For a long time I thought she blamed me for something I'd had no control over, but now she just doesn't...appreciate...certain choices I've made. That doesn't mean I don't care about her, though. I'd do anything to make sure she's safe and happy, even if it means staying away from her and looking out for her from afar."

"Me, too," Michi murmured, trailing his thumb over the book's spine. "Without Dad, I have to make sure she's okay. If I wasn't here, Mom would have to take care of her by herself."

 _Michi is the little man in the house_ , Zelos suddenly realized, surprised he hadn't considered that sooner. He possessed an immense sense of responsibility toward his family and wanted to take care of them, especially if Zelos's suspicion that Michi felt guilty for his father's death was right, yet he didn't want to be here doing what the villagers expected of him. No wonder he was a 'troublemaker'; that was his only way of venting his frustrations. The poor kid was confused, split between caring about his family and recoiling from the person they wanted him to be. If Zelos couldn't relate to that, then no one could. And it was then that he realized what had started out as a simple experiment to see if he could get along with someone here had turned into empathy for this poor kid. He knew exactly how Michi felt to be confused about who he was and how to handle the unwanted expectations laid on him, and he wouldn't wish that feeling on anyone, especially not an already troubled boy.

"Believe me, kid, I know," he murmured. Well, while he couldn't solve this kid's problems, maybe he could point out a few things Michi might not see otherwise. It was easy, after all, to take the good right in front of you for granted. "Y'know, Michi, Mizuho really isn't that bad. It's quiet, sure, but quiet isn't always a bad thing. Meltokio may always be busy and something is always going on there, but it's _always_ busy and something is _always_ going on there. You can't relax there or sit outside to read or think because it's too noisy to concentrate. There are some bad people there; the bigger the town, the more corruption you'll find. You probably can't even conceive of the crime we have. Meltokio has an area called the slums, where people live in poverty; they don't have life nearly as good as you do. And there's a fakeness about the city that...well, it isn't good. Trust me, kid, just because the people here dislike me and question my right to be here doesn't mean I don't get the same thing there. In Meltokio, though, they hide it behind a veneer of fake love and adoration that...well, _they_ don't think you can see through it - although sometimes I think they do it because they know you _can_ \- but it's plain as day. To be honest, I'd almost rather have what I get here, where people are at least _honest_ about the fact that they don't like me, instead of going the whole passive-aggressive route like people there do."

Michi's eyes narrowed, and Zelos waved that off with his hand, realizing the term 'passive-aggressive' meant nothing to him. "Eh, it's not important. My point is there are just as many restrictions and expectations there as there are here, only there, those expectations are social in nature. Y'know, who you can talk to, what you can do, where you can go, stuff like that. Just because the king is there doesn't mean everyone can chat with him; only certain people can even enter his palace. The lower classes are restricted from the upper class areas, and the upper class would never consider walking through a lower class area.

"And life here is...well, it really isn't bad compared to Meltokio. Things are simpler here. The life itself may not be as easy or luxurious and you may have to work hard to survive, but it's not a _cruel_ life, either. You're able to think for yourselves instead of being mindless drones trying to get ahead in life. You're self-sufficient and can take care of yourselves. You grow your own food, make your own supplies, and protect yourselves. I'm always impressed by that, especially when I see the nobles in Meltokio who can't even tie their own shoelaces when their servants are out sick. There's no real nature in Meltokio, either. We barely have any trees, there are no lakes or rivers, the nearest forest is a half hour's walk away...we have a few gardens, which are pretty, but you know that sound at night when the bugs are buzzing and frogs are croaking and birds are singing and the wind's rustling the leaves?" Michi nodded, watching him closely. "Well, you don't get that in Meltokio. I never used to care about anything so _ordinary_ before, but now...now there are times I actually find myself missing it and wanting to come here again just to hear it."

Without warning, Zelos abruptly stopped and his eyes widened. Wait a minute. Had he really just rattled off all the advantages of this place that _he_ had been searching for, advantages that made this place likable? In trying to persuade Michi of Mizuho's good points, the forest Michi couldn't see through the trees, Zelos had just shown _himself_ the good here, too; hell, he'd just recognized, unintentionally, there _was_ a whole lot ofgood here that made this place appealing. And what astounded him most was that, in many senses, the reasons he liked this place were the same reasons why he loved Sheena so much: she was honest, not fake; she was simple, not complex; she could fend for herself instead of needing someone else to protect her; she wasn't all soft and girly and flirty, although she had those qualities, too, but rather she was tough as nails and could kick the ass of anyone who opposed her or threatened her loved ones; she was quiet, mysterious, stunning strength and beauty, not loud, flashy, fake weakness. Zelos couldn't help smiling in amazement as the full scope of that realization registered.

"Zelos?"

Zelos jumped slightly as Michi's voice nudged him from his thoughts. "Hm?" He gave Michi an awkward smile as he realized the boy was watching him, puzzled. "Oh, right. Sorry, got a little distracted. Just realizing this place really _isn't_ so bad, that maybe there really is something here worth considering."

Michi eyed him silently a moment, then ventured, "Are you...moving here?"

Zelos's eyebrows flew upward. Wow, had Michi just inferred that? Heh, talk about a sharp kid. At least, despite Michi's dislike of his village, he didn't seem shocked or disgusted by that thought. In fact, all Zelos could see in his eyes was sincere curiosity. He gave Michi an evasive smile. "Eventually...maybe. I haven't decided yet. This really isn't my kind of lifestyle, but then, my lifestyle isn't the only factor involved in this. And if one day I find the other factors outweigh that one...yeah, maybe. Assuming they'd even let me." But he couldn't have anyone here knowing he'd even started _thinking_ like that yet, not until he'd done more research and had carefully examined himself, his motivations, and his thoughts about the future, and so he gave Michi a pointed look. "Just don't tell anyone that, okay? Especially Sheena. I'm still in the early stages of thinking about that, so I'm not ready to talk about it yet. Let's keep that our little secret."

As he'd expected, Michi nodded curtly. "Okay. I won't say anything. I promise."

"Thanks," Zelos said, giving him a grateful grin.

Michi watched him another moment, then looked at the book, and finally back at Zelos, smiling shyly. "But I'd like it if you did."

Wait, what? "Really?"

Michi nodded, his smile broadening. "It would be nice to have a friend who lived here so I could talk to them like this."

Friend, eh? Zelos returned his smile. This was only the second time they'd chatted, but Michi already considered him to be a friend. Wow. Michi might be just a kid, but that was still immensely encouraging. "Heh. Well, it's good to know if I do start thinking that way, I'd have a friend besides Sheena here." And 'friend' when applied to Sheena seemed so trite, because she was so much more to him than that - girlfriend, lover, love of his life, the best thing that ever happened to him, his everything and then some more, the one person in this world he would risk life and limb and everything else for - but for Michi's sake, 'friend' was his best choice. "Anyway, as for ninja training...yeah, from what I've heard about it, parts of it really don't sound fun to me, either. I don't blame you for wanting to avoid it. _But_ \- and here's the kicker - an awful lot of the stuff ninjas learn is extremely useful. I've seen the stuff Sheena can do, and it's amazing. Trust me, kid, there are some ninja techniques you _should_ learn; Sheena's used them lots of times to get out of some tough binds. I know it doesn't seem that great right now because you want to focus on so much else first, but some of their training is invaluable, the physical as well as the mental."

Michi's face darkened, his eyes falling back to the book. "I suppose," he grumbled, his scowl indicating how grudgingly he said that. "But I really don't want to."

Zelos nudged him. While he had to cover his bases by saying this, so Michi couldn't come back later and say he'd told him to skip the physical aspects of his training, he meant this. Granted, he couldn't blame Michi for not wanting to become a killer, but knowing how to defend yourself was crucial. "Just give it a chance. I'm not saying you shouldn't keep studying what you want to, but don't neglect something that valuable in the process."

Surprisingly, though, Michi's frown deepened further. Zelos wasn't sure why he dreaded the physical aspects of ninja training _that_ much, but he wasn't going to push when Michi clearly didn't want to discuss it. At least now if Sheena asked, Zelos could say he'd encouraged Michi to pursue _all_ of his training. Michi, however, just continued staring at his book, and Zelos sighed. Maybe if he explained _why_ self defense was so important, especially for ninjas, Michi would-

Without warning, he heard movement in the distance behind them, and his face fell. Oh. So much for _that_ idea. "Uh oh."

Michi looked sharply at him. "What is it?"

Zelos listened again, hoping it was just an animal, but the footsteps, while light and hard to detect, were too measured, indicating it was a human. "Someone's coming."

The boy's eyes widened as if begging him to say he was wrong. "But...!"

"Hey, I can't help what I'm hearing, kid. And since the footsteps are getting louder, whoever it is is coming this way." Boy, was he glad sometimes that his hearing _was_ so good. Ninjas were good at sneaking up on people - Sheena had certainly caught him off guard plenty of times before his transformation - but now his hearing was so good that it rendered even their stealth approaches futile. Well, when he was paying attention, at least. They still managed it sometimes - like Chief Igaguri had at the cemetery on V-Day - but it happened far less. "I hate to say this, but you should probably get back to the village."

Michi sighed, frowning again, but then nodded reluctantly. "Yeah...I guess so."

Zelos patted Michi's back, then stuck out his hand. "Here. I'll take that book to Sheena and tell her to expect you. I'm sure she'd be happy to let you look at it anytime."

"Okay," Michi said, handing him the book. A moment later, though, he met Zelos's eyes again shyly. "Thanks, Zelos."

Zelos returned his smile. "No problem, Michi."

Michi's smile broadened, then he collected his notes, stuffed them under his shirt, grinned, and ran off toward the village. Once Zelos couldn't hear him anymore, he sighed softly. Oh, how he hoped he wasn't telling Michi the wrong things - things that if anyone learned had originated with him would not only get Sheena in trouble, but would probably get him banned from Mizuho, too. But it was too late to take back anything he'd said now; all he could do was hope for the best.

On the bright side, so far everything _did_ seem to be going well; Michi, while not always agreeing with Zelos, wasn't getting mad or acting like he felt betrayed when Zelos pointed out something he didn't want to hear, either. In fact, he even viewed Zelos as a 'friend,' which was a goal he'd expected would take a lot longer, if ever, to achieve. That meant either Michi was so desperate for a friend that he would take anyone who didn't yell at him, or he really did like Zelos. Hopefully, it was the latter, because even though these chats had started out as a simple experiment, _Zelos_ had certainly grown to like _him_. How could he not when they had so much in common? And words couldn't describe how nice it was to come to Mizuho and receive a smile from someone other than Sheena. He was almost tempted to declare his experiment to be a success. And he sure as hell knew he would keep going with it as long as he could, for Michi's sake as much as for his own, and see where else it went, because he _wanted_ to.

After a minute, he heard Michi talking to someone in the distance - _sounds like Orochi_ , he noted - and then the voices grew softer again. Once they were gone, Zelos hopped off the log and headed to the village. Thoughts about Michi and Mizuho could wait until later. Right now he had to find Sheena and discuss the first inklings of a plan he was forming to accomplish yet _another_ goal of his. It might or might not work, but as this Michi experiment had proven to him, you never knew if something would pay off unless you tried.

0~*~0


	3. The Success

**Part 3: The Success**

Due to certain events in Meltokio, Zelos didn't return to Mizuho for two weeks, a fact that would have upset him if the culprit situation hadn't been worth the sacrifice. Fortunately, Sheena had stopped by regularly since then, not just to see him (although that _had_ been her reasoning a few times, which always made him feel damn good) but to help deal with the situation, so he hadn't minded as much as he might have. Technically, he knew if he waited long enough, she'd come to see him tonight to find out how the 'situation' had gone, but not only couldn't he wait to break the news to her, but, surprisingly enough, he'd found himself actually _missing_ visiting Mizuho lately and was eager to get back to his whole plan to 'give it a chance.' Besides, he wanted to check on Michi and make sure he hadn't started thinking Zelos didn't want to talk to him anymore. It amazed him how quickly he'd grown attached to that kid, but he couldn't deny he had. And really, how could he complain when that was exactly what he'd wanted?

And so here he was, finally back in Mizuho. Finding Michi proved to be impossible, though - he wasn't in the forest or training with Orochi, which meant he was probably at home - and eventually Zelos gave up. Telling himself he'd try again next time, he headed for Sheena's home, eager to share his news with her.

He was halfway through the surprisingly empty village when, out of nowhere, Michi suddenly ran up to him. "Hi, Zelos."

Zelos jumped a little at Michi's stealthy appearance - _and he claims he doesn't want to be a ninja!_ \- then grinned broadly. "Hey, Michi. I was just looking for you. How're you doing?"

Michi's head sank downward and he toed the ground, smiling shyly. "I'm okay. You?"

"I'm great," Zelos said. "Thanks for asking."

Michi nodded and glanced up at him, but he didn't say anything else, and his eyes quickly fell again, his hands fidgeting with something behind his back. Without warning, Michi suddenly looked up, pulled his hands from behind his back, and shoved a tan, leathery _thing_ at him. "Um, h...here."

Zelos's eyes widened, but he accepted it anyway. "What is...?"

Before he could finish or get a good look at the object Michi had handed him, though, the kid suddenly stepped backward, his face red. "I...I have to go. Bye!"

For a moment, all Zelos could do was blink blankly as Michi ran off again, but finally regaining his senses, he called out, "Hey!" Thankfully, Michi stopped and looked back at him curiously, and Zelos lifted the tan thing. "Thanks."

His face still red, Michi smiled and nodded, then ran off again. Zelos watched him disappear into one of the houses, then he grinned and let out a soft laugh. Heh, looked like yet another kid had joined the ranks of Chosen admirers, eh? This one, though, was special simply because Zelos had never had to act like the 'Chosen' to win him over. No, for once, Zelos saw no reason to question Michi's motivations behind being friends with him. Talk about encouraging. _Guess I can declare this particular experiment to be a success, eh?_

Because Michi had been so quick and stealthy about giving him this _thing_ , though, Zelos figured he hadn't wanted anyone else to see it, and so, not wanting to draw attention to himself, he opted to wait to take a better look at it. He quickly started walking again, offering a woman further down the street a pleasant smile and nod, and soon arrived at Sheena's house. She had always told him he was welcome to just walk in any time - the doors in Mizuho were rarely ever locked, she'd said, and she trusted him not to wreck the place - but having grown up in Meltokio where barging in was considered rude, he'd always made it a habit to knock here anyway. Besides, the last thing he wanted to do was accidentally walk in on her changing. Well, okay, so he _wanted_ to accidentally walk in on her changing, but he _didn't_ want to risk being dumped because of it. Rapping a few times on the door, he waited a minute...but no one answered. With his angel senses, he could hear someone inside, moving around, but he didn't hear her call out to come in. And then he heard a loud 'thunk' and the sound of something sliding on the floor and realized she must be moving stuff around somewhere.

 _Oh, that's right_ , he suddenly remembered. _She_ _ **had**_ _mentioned that today was spring cleaning day here; that's why she wasn't planning to come to Meltokio until this evening. That explains why so few people are outside today, too._ She probably hadn't even heard him. Okay, fine; he had blanket permission to enter, and since he doubted he'd be walking in on her in an 'inappropriate' state (because as titillating as it was to picture her cleaning naked or wearing lingerie, he _seriously_ doubted that would be the case), enter he would. Pushing the door open, he poked his head inside and looked around...yep, the place was a huge mess, with papers, books, fabric, and boxes strewn everywhere. Absently, he wondered how she'd accumulated so much stuff in under half a year. Unless Igaguri had given her a bunch of stuff for when she became chief...

Zelos shook his head. Right now, that wasn't important. No, right now, he needed to get her attention...or _not_ , he suddenly realized as a wicked impulse struck him. This wasn't a good idea, and he _knew_ it wasn't a good idea, but whether it was because he was feeling mischievous or because he so rarely got an opportunity to do this, he couldn't resist. Stepping inside, he quietly closed the door and slipped off his shoes, then he padded toward her bedroom, where the sound of boxes sliding on the floor was coming from, careful to avoid the wooden floorboard behind the couch that creaked when stepped on, not wanting to give himself away. She would probably kill him for this, but it was worth the risk. And besides, he really, _really_ wanted to see how she reacted to this.

Once at her room, he peeked inside the open doorway and found her standing by her closet, facing away from him, two folded white sheets in her hands that she was looking between as if trying to determine which she liked better. Taking advantage of her distraction, Zelos grinned wickedly and snuck inside, tossing the thing from Michi on the futon amongst the numerous other items from her closet (why she hadn't just put the futon away to give herself more room to work, he didn't know nor care), then he walked over to her, grasped her arms, spun her around, pulled her to him, and planted a heated kiss on her lips.

Unsurprisingly, her body immediately tensed, but he could tell the instant she recognized her 'assailant' for she dropped the sheets, closed her eyes, and surrendered to him, lifting her hands to his arms, curling her fingers around them, and responding to his kiss just as heatedly. Without warning, her fingers tightened and she suddenly spun him around, pinned him to the wall beside her closet, and parted her lips to deepen the kiss, groaning as their mouths battled, sending fire and tingles of pleasure cascading through him that manifested themselves in a low growl as his hands tightened on her waist and pulled her body tighter to his. Oh, Martel, as horrible as this idea had been, because her fiery, _possessive_ responses were the most amazing, incredible turn-on he'd ever experienced, there was no way he could end the kiss himself, not when she was just as lost in it - and quite obviously _turned on_ by it - as he was.

Thankfully, Sheena _did_ retain enough sense to finally tear her lips from his and pull back, just enough so she could see his eyes (and, Zelos noted with a smirk as his eyes languidly opened, his _lips_ ) again. Oh, yeah, that kiss had aroused her, too: her cheeks were flushed, there was a hunger in her eyes that he'd only seen once or twice before, and her breathing was heavy. _So you like surprise roughness like that, do you?_ he thought, his eyes skimming her delightfully pink cheeks and her kiss-swollen lips. _I thought you might, sweetheart, considering how violent your tendencies are._ Heh. He would have to tuck that little nugget of information away in the back of his mind; as far as he was concerned, that particular experiment, to see how she responded to that, also warranted a check in the 'Success' box.

Primal instinct, something he'd been pointedly ignoring for months, was instructing him to go back to the kiss, to follow through on it and let passion sweep them away, especially with her bed nearby, calling to them, and the fire in his blood desperately ached to do so, but Martel help him, he couldn't. He had to be extremely careful not to let things get out of hand, because he'd promised he wouldn't push her and he refused to back out on that now, no matter how hard it was to walk away. They had made it this far without bringing sex into the picture, and if the Michi experiment was any indication, Zelos was getting closer to making his decision, which meant, if he was lucky, it wouldn't be _too_ much longer before they could incorporate such passion and pleasure in their lives. Until then, he just had to be patient and keep aiming for his ultimate goal.

"Hi," he said, grinning as his gaze drifted back to her full, moist lips.

"Hi," she replied. Her voice was rougher than normal, and her face was still flushed, and her brown eyes looked a bit wild, but there was a definite grin of her own forming on her lips as she licked them, clearly trying to resist laughing. A moment later, she arched an eyebrow at him. "Y'know, if you aren't careful when you do that, you're gonna find yourself sliced into a thousand pieces by my cards."

Zelos's grin broadened. "I think I'll take my chances."

Sheena rolled her eyes, but her grin was likewise now out in full. "I figured you'd say that."

"Heh." He lowered his voice and slowly leaned closer to her, trying to lull her into a false sense of security. "You know me too well, sweetheart."

As he'd expected, Sheena's grin softened into a smile, and Zelos took advantage of the opportunity to smirk again before grasping her arms, spinning her around, and pinning _her_ to the wall as she'd just done to him, reveling in the momentary surprise that lit her eyes just before he dipped his head down and gave her another kiss. That time, to his delight, she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer and pressing her curvy body flush against his, and...oh, yeah, there it was, that moan he'd been craving from her, the one that, even now, could still make his heart and body ache with longing and turn his brain to mush. He groaned as her warm, soft lips parted welcomingly against his, tasting like spicy tea on his tongue and sending even more primal signals through him, and his hands slid down to her hips, holding them firmly against him. Oh, how he wanted this woman, in every way a man could want the woman he loved. He wanted to pick her up, lay her on her futon, and ravish her. His willpower fading, his fingers slid upward, itching to touch and feel and do everything else that came with that.

But Martel help him, he couldn't. He _couldn't_. He abruptly pulled back, enchanted by the dark, sensuous heat sparkling in her eyes as they lazily opened and locked with his. They'd both been sinking too deeply into that kiss, and that just wasn't an option yet - but he suddenly, desperately, wished it _was_ an option, that he _could_ follow through on that and make wild, passionate love to her and see and feel and touch and taste and hear her gasps and moans of pleasure. That desire just reinforced one of the main reasons why he'd been putting so much effort into making Mizuho more palatable to him: so that one day he _could_ let passion run free and bring them both that kind of mind-blowing ecstasy. And thankfully, at the moment it truly did seem to be working.

Taking a deep breath, Zelos gave her one last kiss, far gentler and more loving than the last two, then he pulled back again and grinned, admiring the beauty of her face and the flush on her cheeks and the heat in her eyes. "I just love doing that."

Sheena chuckled, biting her lip as she likewise took in every line of his face, and for a moment, he wondered what she saw when she looked at him, if he looked even half as appealing to her as she did to him. "I never would've guessed," she murmured, her eyes falling again to his lips. She admired them a moment, then shook her head, unable to hide a playful grin as she lifted her eyes back to his. "I wish you weren't so good at that."

He smirked. "No, you don't."

Her flush deepened and her gaze fell to his chest as she let out a soft, shy laugh. "No, you're right, I really don't." Her eyes quickly snapped back up to his face and she gave him another quick kiss before lowering her arms from his neck. Taking the hint, Zelos released her and took a half-step backward, looking her over as she leaned against the wall and licked her lips, the darkness in her eyes indicating how heated she still felt. Finally, she cleared her throat and quirked an eyebrow. "So what are you doing here? I was planning on dropping by Meltokio tonight. Not that I'm complaining, mind you."

"You'd better not be, or I'll have to question your loyalty to your boyfriend." She rolled her eyes, but he just cocked his head, waiting for her to figure it out for herself. His patience level had been sorely depleted by those heated kisses and his restraint to keep himself in check, though, and so he quickly opted to give her a clue. He was, after all, bursting to tell her this. "Let's just say I couldn't wait that long."

It took her a second, but Zelos could see the instant she got it for her entire face lit up and her hands grasped his arms again eagerly. "Oh! Did it work? Tell me it worked!"

Zelos was sure he was grinning like an idiot, but, well, he _really_ didn't care, because something he'd been awaiting since their first date, when the extent of how hellish his girlfriend's job would be because of a certain someone became apparent, had finally happened. He had earned the right to grin like an idiot. "You'd better believe it, babe. Who would've thought that slimy reporter would actually come through for us?"

The hope in her eyes flared even brighter. "So Giannovio is...?"

"Yep. He's right where he belongs and won't be bothering us ever again. And, as an added bonus, we won't have to worry about Matthew Fenimore anymore, either." Sheena squealed in delight - well, as much as Sheena _squealed_ about anything - and threw her arms around him, giving him an excited hug that he happily returned. "Heh, I feel so evil, scheming against them like that."

Sheena released him, her brown eyes sparkling mischievously. "Well, yeah, so do I. But in this particular case, our scheming really was warranted."

"Oh, definitely. They both deserve every single one of the _at least_ 25 years they'll be in prison for conspiring against the Tethe'allan throne by planning to undermine our relationship with the Sylvaranti. Hell, Giannovio's deserved to be stripped of that title since the day he became Foreign Minister, and if we're lucky, a few of the women Fenimore tormented will step forward now that he's fallen from grace and press rape charges against him. I'm just glad we finally made that happen."

It had all started two weeks ago, the morning of the last time Zelos had dropped by Mizuho. After talking to Michi, he'd immediately gone to see Sheena.

" _I need a favor from Mizuho_ ," he'd declared upon finding her sitting by the river near the cemetery, writing in a decidedly non-Mizuhoan notebook.

" _What kind of favor?_ " she'd replied without looking up at him.

" _A spying favor._ "

She'd sighed showily and finally looked up at him as he sat down beside her, visibly trying to hide her smile. They had, after all, been out in public at the time. " _Zelos, we aren't going to find every woman's bust size for you just so you can fulfill all your twisted, perverted fantasies about envisioning every woman in Tethe'alla wearing lingerie._ "

" _No, no, that's not what I..."_ He'd realized what she'd said. " _Hey! I will have you know I don't give a damn about any other woman's measurements. I only said that to get_ _ **yours**_ _. Y'know, without making it_ _ **look**_ _like yours was the only one I wanted. But_ _ **noooo**_ _,_ _ **someone**_ _refuses to let me have them!_ "

" _And for good reason_ ," she'd muttered, pretending to go back to her writing.

Zelos had cocked his head. " _Well, yeah, okay, you're probably right about that_." Suddenly, he'd shaken his head and waved that off with his hand. " _Agh, don't distract me like that!"_

Sheena had chuckled softly, glancing briefly up at him before looking back down at her paper. " _Sorry. Go on. You need a spying favor from Mizuho?_ "

" _Right. Yes, I do._ "

" _What kind of spying favor?_ "

" _Trust me, when you hear this, you'll_ _ **want**_ _to do it_ ," he'd said, grinning again.

She'd growled and looked up at him. " _Just tell me what it is already!"_

" _Okay, okay!_ " he'd replied, motioning for her to calm down. " _So this morning I was walking through Meltokio's slums..._ "

Her eyes had narrowed. " _Why?_ "

 _His_ eyes had narrowed. " _Why...was I walking through the slums?_ " She'd nodded, and he'd given her a disbelieving look. " _Does it really matter?_ "

" _You'd better not have been conning those women out of their prized possessions again by flirting with them!_ " she'd countered, giving him a warning look.

Zelos had pointed at her. " _Hey,_ _ **I**_ _never asked for expensive stuff from them like Hourglasses and Rare Pellets and Energy Tablets; they just threw them at me! Was it_ _ **my**_ _fault they found me to be so charming?_ "

Sheena had rolled her eyes. " _Yes, it was! You knew full well they would do that, yet you_ _ **still**_ _flirted with them!_ "

" _Well, I wasn't flirting with them this time_!" he'd said, throwing his hands out in growing exasperation. He'd always loved it when she acted playful, but he really _had_ had a legitimate reason to be telling her that. " _Now, do you want to hear this or not?_ "

" _Okay, fine!_ " she'd said, lifting her hands. " _Just tell me already!_ "

" _Then quit distracting me and accusing me of things I can't control!_ "

" _Agh, Zelos!_ " she'd cried, giving him a _'Seriously, what gives?'_ and _'Just get on with it already!'_ look.

" _Okay, okay!_ " he'd countered, then cleared his throat. " _ **Anyway**_ _, I was walking through the slums, just checking things out_ _ **like I always to do once a week to make sure no one there is in dire need of help**_ _, when this woman comes up to me_."

" _Big surprise_ ," Sheena had muttered.

Zelos had cupped a hand to his ear, even though he'd known full well what she'd just said. " _What was that, my dear?_ "

She'd waved that off. " _Nothing. Go on. This woman came up to you...?_ "

" _Oh, right. Well, she comes up to me, and you'll never believe what she says_."

Sheena had given him a perfectly innocent look. " _'You're so hot, I want to jump you this instant'?_ "

Zelos had pulled a face. " _No, that's not..._." He'd finally caught the look on her face and gave her a mock glare. She'd been doing that more lately, poking fun at him like that, and while he _loved_ that she felt comfortable enough to joke with him, it really had been frustrating _at that particular moment when he really had had something important to tell her_. " _Ha, ha, very funny. Think you're smart, don'tcha?_ "

" _Yes, I do_ ," she'd said, breaking out in a cheeky grin. " _And honestly, I was just checking to make sure this wasn't another ridiculous, perverted story of yours_."

" _You really have been hanging around me too long_ ," he'd muttered, giving her half a glare.

" _And whose fault is that?_ " she'd replied, batting her eyelashes at him sweetly.

He'd sighed and nodded reluctantly. " _Yeah, I know. I have no one to blame but myself_."

" _Glad you recognize that_."

Zelos had had to silently admit he was starting to understand why she'd always gotten so frustrated with him when he hadn't taken anything she'd said seriously, but he'd quickly pushed that thought aside. " _Anyway, no, this_ _ **isn't**_ _a perverted story_."

" _Good_ ," Sheena had said, nodding curtly. " _Then by all means, carry on. Please_."

 _Agh, it was about time!_ he'd thought. Only... " _So... where was I again?_ " he'd asked, scratching his neck.

" _What she said to you...?_ " she'd prompted.

" _Oh! Right! So she says..._ " He hadn't been able to help himself at that point; it had been _entirely_ her fault for being so playful and difficult. " _She says, 'Chosen, I know you're the most manly and gorgeous studmuffin to ever walk Tethe'alla'..._ " It had taken all his restraint not to laugh as Sheena had growled and glared at him again. " _Oh, wait, that was just wishful thinking_." And then, as her scowl had deepened further, he'd succumbed to the laughter. " _You should see your face right now_."

Her eyes had flared dangerously, yet with just enough playfulness for him to know she wasn't serious. " _You should see your face in exactly_ _ **one minute**_ _unless you quit goofing around and tell me what's going on_ _ **right now**_ _._ "

He'd laughed again and pointed at her. " _For the record, that was solely_ _ **your**_ _fault, my dear, but that's neither here nor there_." Her face had darkened further, and he'd quickly cleared his throat before she could retort to that. " _Okay, so seriously, she comes up to me and says, and I quote, 'Chosen, I know this is inappropriate of me to ask, but could you please find another place to meet your 'friend'? You can meet him anywhere you please; why must it always be behind my children's window at such a late hour? I have enough trouble getting them to sleep normally, and I don't appreciate having to put them back to bed at one o'clock every other night when you wake them with your meetings.'_ "

Sheena had blinked at him blankly. " _She_ _ **said**_ _that to you?_ " He'd hummed in response, and her brows had furrowed. " _So...who are you_ _ **meeting**_ _there? And why?"_

Zelos had lifted a hand to his chest. " _ **I'm**_ _not meeting_ _ **anyone**_ _there_. _Hey, at one in the morning, I am always sound asleep in my bed, dreaming ridiculously good dreams about my sexy, voluptuous girlfriend._ "

That had caught her off guard, making her cheeks flare, but she'd quickly brushed that off. " _Then if you aren't meeting anyone there, who is? And why did she think it was you?_ "

" _Bingo_ ," he'd said, pointing at her again. " _Those were my questions for her exactly_."

" _And what did you find out?_ "

" _Hold your horses; I'm getting there_. _So I asked her why she thought it was me, and she said she'd been talking to one of the guys in the slums who often wanders around at night due to chronic insomnia, and the description he gave of the guy matched mine - or at least the red hair part. And so then I asked about this guy's 'friend' my doppelganger was meeting, but she said she didn't know or care; she'd just figured she would talk to me the next time she saw me and tell me to knock it off. So then I hunted down Insomnia Guy and asked him those same questions. He confirmed, upon getting a good look at me, that it wasn't_ _ **me**_ _he'd seen, but someone who looked a lot like me. I also asked about the 'friend' he'd seen...and you'll_ _ **never**_ _guess who he described for me_." Sheena had watched him closely, waiting, and Zelos had sighed and motioned at her. " _Oh, c'mon, guess_!"

" _I'm not guessing, Zelos_ ," she'd stated flatly. " _Just tell me_."

" _Spoilsport_ ," he'd muttered, pouting at her sudden lack of playfulness, but the unamused eyebrow she'd arched had told him not to push his luck, and so he'd cleared his throat dramatically. " _The 'friend' apparently looks exactly like Minister Giannovio_."

Her eyes had narrowed. " _Giannovio was meeting with a guy who looks like you?_ "

" _Yep_."

Sheena's face had wrinkled in confusion. " _But...wait. Who's this guy who looks like you?_ "

Zelos had shrugged. " _I'm not sure yet, but I know of_ _ **one**_ _person who's been mistaken for me before, and I think you do, too_."

" _That creepy, perverted guy from the princess's party_ ," she'd murmured, her gaze drifting downward.

" _Right_ ," he'd said, nodding curtly. " _Matthew Fenimore. He's the only person I can think of who might be mistaken for me._ "

Her eyes had snapped up to his. " _What were they talking about?_ "

" _Unfortunately, I couldn't find that out_. _I went back to the woman and asked her, and then went with her when she talked to her kids about it, but the girl is only two, and her brother is five and didn't understand what they were saying._ "

Her confusion had visibly deepened. " _But if we're right about who was meeting..._ "

 _...What could they have been doing_? he'd realized she'd been asking. _And why discuss it in the_ _ **slums**_ _at_ _ **one in the morning**_ _?_ " _Remember what Regal said at New Year's? About how Giannovio was asking him all sorts of questions about the Lezareno Company and their relationship with the Sylvaranti_?" She'd nodded. " _Well, if he_ _ **was**_ _meeting with Matthew Fenimore, and if Matthew is an heir to the Fenimore Corporation, Lezareno's rival...maybe Giannovio found an ally in Matthew that he couldn't in Regal_."

" _Yeah, but an ally in_ _ **what**_?" she'd asked.

Zelos had grinned and pointed at her. " _An excellent question, wouldn't you say?_ "

Sheena had watched him closely another moment before nodding in understanding. " _So that's what you want Mizuho to find out_."

" _Yep. Not only confirm who was meeting, but what they were talking about and why they were meeting so secretly about it_."

" _Heh_ ," she'd said, a sly grin crossing her face. " _I think we can do that. And to be honest...I think I like where this is going_."

So had he, but he hadn't wanted to get his hopes up only to find they were completely off track. He _had_ leaned toward her and returned her grin, though. " _Me, too, but I'm gonna wait to reserve judgment until we find out more_."

" _Then we'll get right on that_ ," she'd replied, her eyes twinkling mischievously.

And oh, had what they found been juicy. Shocking and horrifying, but _juicy_. The two men who were covertly meeting in the slums in the middle of the night _were,_ in fact, Minister Giannovio and Matthew Fenimore. Giannovio had apparently, during his month off for bad behavior, begun scheming of a way to get _some_ use out of the 'unwanted foreigners': by making money off of them. He suggested the Fenimore Corporation begin tapping into the vast new Sylvaranti consumer base by selling products to them that were tainted with toxic chemicals that would, over time (and with no possibility of being linked back to the corporation), make them sick. And then, when they started dying, the company could sell them drugs to cure the sickness, too - not enough to heal them completely, but enough to alleviate the worst symptoms and make the Sylvaranti _think_ the drugs were working. Matthew, seeing a golden opportunity to ramp up the Fenimore Corporation's sales and rise through the ranks, had agreed and located an appropriate chemical. Production on the tainted products, Mizuho's ninjas had found, had already begun, and shipping was scheduled to begin soon, first via roaming merchants, which would whet the people's appetite for Tethe'allan goods, and then in bulk once people were clamoring for more.

Zelos and Sheena had been horrified; before that, they'd both realized how slimy Giannovio and Fenimore were, but they hadn't realized how sick, dangerous, greedy, and _depraved_ they were until that came to light. The one thing they had lacked, though, was proof. They could go to the king with what they'd learned, but without _proof_ of Giannovio and Matthew Fenimore's plans - something Mizuho had unfortunately been unsuccessful in acquiring, despite their best efforts to infiltrate the Fenimore Corporation - they wouldn't be able to stop it until too late; even if the king confronted Giannovio, Giannovio and Fenimore would deny it and destroy all evidence before anyone could find it. And with the goods ready to be shipped and no one else in the Fenimore Corporation 'in the know' to interrogate since Matthew had inserted the chemicals into the production line himself, they hadn't had time to find the culprit warehouse and dig through all the boxes until they found the tainted products. They'd quickly determined they needed another plan.

The situation had reached critical mass when Mizuho's spies reported that a final meeting had been scheduled between Giannovio and Matthew Fenimore and that shipping would begin at the end of the week. It was their last opportunity to stop this crime, which meant they needed proof from that meeting. And then yesterday morning, without even actually suggesting something, Sheena had solved the problem by stating: " _If only we could record what Giannovio and Fenimore say tonight_."

Just like that, the answer had hit him. When he'd explained his idea, she'd balked and vehemently refused to involve the man he'd suggested, but he'd refused to take 'no' for an answer, and when she couldn't come up with a better idea, she'd finally, reluctantly, caved. And next Zelos had known, he'd been doing something he never, _ever_ thought he'd be doing: asking Mizuho to kidnap one Roland Fredericks, a.k.a. Harry McHenry, a.k.a. The Chosen's Stalker Gossip-Reporter From Niflheim, and watching him be dragged, blindfolded and protesting, into Zelos's cellar by two ninjas.

" _What is the meaning of this_?" Harry had said as the ninjas forced him into a chair at the table where Zelos and Sheena were sitting. He looked pretty rough, Zelos had thought, his clothes looking worn around the edges - probably because he had no money after he'd lost his job as a 'gossip reporter' when Sheena had confiscated his camera. " _I demand you let me go, or I will report you to..._ " Once the other ninjas were gone, Sheena had finally removed the ropes from his wrists and then his blindfold, and he'd gasped. " _Ch...Chosen!_ " His eyes had snapped to Sheena as she'd retaken her seat. " _And...and_ _ **you**_!"

" _'You'?_ " Zelos had repeated, arching an eyebrow at Sheena. " _You do such a good job threatening him, and then he doesn't even remember your name? Don'tcha feel so special, sweetheart?_ "

Sheena had scowled at Harry - Zelos had told her to act as if she was angry at him, which hadn't been hard to do when she really _hadn't_ been happy about involving him - and Harry had recoiled, shrunk back in his chair, and lifted his hands protectively. " _P...please, d...don't hurt me! I...I haven't done anything to either of you! Whatever you think it was I did, I didn't! I have followed your instructions and left you both alone, have I not?_ "

" _Yeah, I know,"_ she'd grumbled, softening a little. _"You have_."

Zelos had motioned at her. " _Sheena here was just hoping to never have to see you again._ "

Harry had looked between them, blinking blankly. " _Th...then if you haven't brought me here to harm me, why_ _ **have**_ _you brought me here?_ "

" _We'll get to that_ ," Zelos had replied. " _But first, can I get you anything? Water, milk, wine, cheese, crackers, popcorn...?_ " He'd motioned at the bowl of popcorn on the table.

The whole point of adopting the 'good copy, bad cop' routine had been to throw Harry off his guard and make him more likely to agree to their request. Fortunately, doing so had proven to be extremely easy. " _N...no_."

" _I still can't believe you brought_ _ **popcorn**_ _to this_ ," Sheena had muttered.

Zelos had given her an innocent look. " _What? This is entertaining stuff! And entertaining stuff demands popcorn!_ " He'd pushed the bowl toward her, grinning and waggling his eyebrows. " _You_ _ **sure**_ _you don't want any, babe?"_

She'd glared at him a moment before reaching into the bowl and grabbing a handful. " _Gimme some of that_."

" _Heh, knew you couldn't resist..._ " Without warning, a piece of popcorn had flown at his face, hitting him square between the eyes. " _Sheeeennnnaaaa! You're supposed to_ _ **eat**_ _it, not_ _ **throw**_ _it at me!_ "

" _I never said I wanted to_ _ **eat**_ _it; I just thought it would make for a good projectile whenever you start acting stupid_ ," she'd said, shrugging innocently before turning to Harry, her face darkening. " _And for him, too_."

Zelos had quickly slid the bowl back over to him and wrapped his arms around it, protecting it from her. " _That's it; no more popcorn for_ _ **you**_ _today_." She'd rolled her eyes, and he'd turned back to Harry, who was watching them as if they were crazy. They _were_ crazy, but he didn't need to know that they knew that. " _Eh, ignore her; she's a little grumpy today. Normally she's not..._ " He'd cocked his head, reconsidering that. "O _kay, so usually she_ _ **is**_ _like this. But she won't kill you...I think. Just don't piss her off and you should be fine_."

" _And_ _ **you're**_ _as annoying as ever today, I see_ ," Sheena had muttered, stuffing a piece of popcorn in her mouth, much to Zelos's delight.

He'd motioned at her with his thumb. " _See what I mean? But I love her anyway_." He'd given Sheena a cheeky grin. " _And I know she loves me, too_." Sheena had glared at him in a way that would make most men cower, but she didn't deny it, and Zelos just chuckled and ignored it, turning back to Harry. " _But anyway, enough about us! You're the guest of honor here, after all. So what should we call you? Harry? Roland? Creepy Stalker Dude?_ "

" _Most Annoying Guy In Tethe'alla And Still Not Someone I Want Anything To Do With_?" Sheena had suggested.

" _Nah, that's too long_ ," Zelos had replied, pulling a face. " _Although I_ _ **am**_ _glad you aren't calling_ _ **me**_ _that anymore_."

" _Keep making decisions like_ _ **these**_ _and I probably_ _ **will**_ _start calling you that again_ ," she'd muttered, giving him a mock glare.

" _Love you too, sweetheart_ ," he'd said, grinning brightly, then turned back to Harry. " _Anyway, name_?"

The reporter had considered that a moment before offering, " _Harry is fine_."

Just as Zelos had thought, based on everything he'd heard about this guy. " _Good. Harry. So you're wondering why we brought you here, aren't you_?"

" _ **I'm**_ _wondering why we brought him here_ ," Sheena grumbled.

" _Oh, you know perfectly well why, my dear_ ," Zelos had replied, shooting her another grin. " _And I'm still waiting to hear another option which means we could let this guy go_."

" _I'm still thinking_ ," she'd muttered.

" _Yeah, good luck with that. Let me know what you figure out, preferably_ _ **before**_ _we have to tell this guy the whole story_." Zelos had cleared his throat and turned back to Harry. " _ **Anyway**_ _, while you're doing that, I'm just gonna chat with our guest here, m'kay_?"

She'd sighed and rolled her eyes. " _Yeah, whatever_."

Zelos had clapped his hands together and grinned at Harry. " _Okay! Now that that's settled...where were we?"_

" _You were going to tell me why you kidnapped me and what you want from me_ ," Harry said. " _Seeing as, as I said before, I have left you both alone, as I promised..._ _ **her**_ _...I would do_."

" _Oh, right_!" Zelos had said. " _Thanks for listening to her, by the way. I'm really enjoying being able to walk down the streets without worrying about how my hair looks for any possible pictures people might be taking of me._ "

" _I was under the impression I did not have a choice_ ," Harry had retorted, casting a pointed look at Sheena, who'd arched an eyebrow and glared back at him.

Zelos had tilted his head. " _Well, no, I guess you kinda didn't, did you? But this time you will. I promise_."

Harry had leaned forward, his eyes narrowing. " _A choice about...what...exactly?_ "

Zelos had released the popcorn bowl and leaned back in his chair, fixing Harry with a completely serious, sharp look. " _We need a favor from you_."

" _A...favor_ ," Harry had said as if the word was an exotic meal he wasn't sure he liked the taste of. " _The last time I did one of you a_ _ **favor**_ _, I lost my camera and, with it, my job_."

" _Heh, yeah, Sheena's good at coming up with creative incentives like those_ ," Zelos had said, grinning proudly, but he quickly sobered. " _But I promise, if you do this for us, you won't regret it_."

Harry's eyes had narrowed further. " _You are saying you will reward me if I do this for you?_ "

Zelos had grinned and leaned forward. " _Oh, trust me, if you do this, you_ _ **will**_ _be rewarded_."

" _Financially_?" Harry had asked.

" _That...will be a related side effect._ "

A flicker of life had sparked in Harry's previously dull, dark eyes, leading Zelos to wonder who this man had been before Sheena had cut him off from his job six months ago. In a way, Zelos actually felt bad for him; Harry had lost everything by pissing off the wrong people. He'd had nothing to write about anymore, he'd lost his camera, and he'd seemed utterly _defeated_ after that. That was probably one of Zelos's main reasons for involving him in this scheme, even if he'd never tell Sheena that for fear of looking like a sap.

" _If I do this, will I get my camera back_?" Harry had said.

" _No_ ," Sheena had stated. " _That's non-negotiable_."

Zelos had motioned at her. " _What she said_." It wasn't that they didn't trust this guy with it - although they didn't - but it was primarily because of the pictures still on it. He reminded himself to figure out where Sheena was hiding it and check out all those other pictures. " _But if all goes according to plan, you'll be able to buy yourself a new one_."

Harry had hummed softly, mulling that over. " _Is this favor of yours dangerous?"_

" _It could be if you don't do your job well and are discovered_ ," Zelos had said, shrugging.

" _Or if you start spying on_ _ **us**_ _again with this new camera you're obviously already planning to buy_ ," Sheena had added.

Harry had gulped as he'd glanced at her, catching her warning, but then he'd nodded. " _I understand. So...why are you asking_ _ **me**_ _to do this for you, since you obviously do not like or trust me?_ "

Sheena had sighed and given Zelos a prompting look. " _Yes, Zelos, why him? I'd still like to know the answer to that myself_."

" _Because he's the only reporter I know_ ," Zelos had replied. " _Because he's left us alone like he promised he would. Because I know he won't stab us in the back unless_ _ **he**_ _wants to be stabbed in the back_." He'd shrugged. " _And because...well, because I'm feeling generous because of how much I love that picture he took of us_." Sheena's face had softened, and Zelos had grinned. " _I mean, c'mon, can you really deny how nice that picture is?"_

" _No_ ," she'd grudgingly admitted. " _ **All**_ _of those pictures were really nice, actually_."

He'd nodded smugly. " _Didn't think so. So anyway, Harry, are you interested or not?_ "

" _Think it over carefully_ ," Sheena had added. " _We aren't telling you any details unless you agree to this_."

Harry had watched them both, considering that again, then clarified, " _Before I agree, I must know exactly what this 'reward' for my services will be_."

Zelos hadn't wanted to tell him, just in case Harry _hadn't_ thought it was a great reward (although he also wasn't opposed to offering Harry gald, despite Sheena's warning that he shouldn't for fear Giannovio would offer Harry even more gald to make any evidence 'disappear'), but he supposed being honest couldn't hurt _too_ much. He'd leaned forward. " _Your old job as a journalist back. And then a significant promotion on top of it, too_."

" _Although if that happens, you still have to promise to leave us alone_ ," Sheena had quickly said, pointing at Harry.

By that point, the fire had been completely reignited in this stout, balding man's eyes. It had only taken him a moment to nod curtly. " _Very well, I will do it_."

Zelos had grinned and clapped his hands together. " _Great! Then now that that's settled, would you like to do the honors and explain the situation, sweetheart?_ "

Sheena had pulled a face. " _Why should_ _ **I**_ _have to do it? This was_ _ **your**_ _idea_!"

" _Which is exactly why I think_ _ **you**_ _should be the one explaining it!"_ he'd replied, leaning back in his chair, propping his feet up on top of the table, grabbing the popcorn bowl, and stuffing a handful of popcorn in his mouth.

She'd groaned and rolled her eyes. " _That makes absolutely no sense...but fine, I'll do it_."

And so, after verifying that a) Harry owned a sound recorder (he did), b) Harry wasn't a friend of Minister Giannovio (" _He is an arrogant fool who wants nothing to do with you unless you have a significant amount of money_ "), and c) Harry didn't hate the Sylvaranti (he'd actually grown quite fond of them, having traveled around there after being fired, seeking employment), Sheena had explained what they wanted him to do: record Giannovio and Fenimore's 'secret' conversation that night. Harry's eyes had lit up the more they explained, his gears clearly turning, scheming how he could use this story - one only _he_ had the scoop about - to win back his former employer's respect. If they could pull this off, he'd said, it would be one of the biggest stories of the year and would have the Meltokian populace enthralled. They were itching for a good 'evil, secret conspiracy' story, he'd determined, and this would fit the bill nicely. Heck, Harry had even promised that, if this worked, he would portray the Sylvaranti in a good light when writing the article and hopefully gain the Tethe'allan populace's sympathy for them. In the end, he'd actually been excited to get started, which had assured Zelos that yes, he really would come through for them.

And he had. Harry had dropped by Zelos's mansion early this morning and let Zelos hear the recording, and Zelos's jaw had dropped at how much information had been given during that single conversation. Both Giannovio and Fenimore had been mentioned by name (which ignored Rule #1 of secret negotiations that Zelos had learned from his Cruxis days, which was to never, _ever_ address a co-conspirator by their real name), and pretty much every detail of their plot had been rehashed as they'd patted each other on the back for their 'brilliant thinking' in pulling this off. They'd also identified the warehouse where the tainted items were shipping from, which meant the goods could now be confiscated. Harry had even let Zelos read the rough draft of his article, saying it would be finished and submitted to the papers as soon as the king had been informed and a judgment passed. Zelos had been so pleased with what Harry had written that he'd even given him a few 'exclusive quotes' from the Chosen, something to further excite readers.

Knowing Giannovio, who had resumed his old position as Foreign Minister just two days ago, had a meeting scheduled with the king that morning (that time regarding a disagreement between the Tethe'allan and Sylvaranti villages over rights to prime farmland, one Zelos had invited himself to _'to make sure no one decides to annihilate the Sylvaranti villages'_ ), Zelos had told Harry to come to the castle soon after it started and demand to speak with the king about an 'urgent matter of national security'; Zelos would make sure he got in. When Harry had arrived, the king had initially been furious at the interruption, but that fury had instantly turned to Giannovio once Harry had played the recording. Giannovio had been shocked, his face going as white as a sheet, and insisted he was being set up, but there was no denying the voices on the tape. It had progressed quickly from there: Giannovio was arrested on the spot, and guards were sent to the warehouse in Meltokio (which was _another_ no-no of evil conspiracy planning, to be secretly meeting _in the same town where the criminal activity was taking place)_ to apprehend Matthew Fenimore and analyze the tainted goods. When the lab results came back, positive for traces of the toxin, Giannovio and Fenimore had been thrown into prison and Giannovio had been stripped of his title, the king declaring that no trial was necessary when the proof was undeniable.

"I can't believe that slimy reporter actually came through for us," Sheena murmured after Zelos finished describing that morning's excitement, a huge, _smug_ grin on her face.

"And to think, you _doubted_ me when I said he would," Zelos replied, poking her shoulder.

She sighed, but her grin never faltered. "Yeah, well, it turned out you were right, but I really hadn't thought you would be. _You_ had never dealt with Harry McHenry before; I had. I guess I expected we'd have to _threaten_ or _blackmail_ him to get him to do this, seeing as I'm the one responsible for making him so miserable by taking his camera."

"Being without income for six months when you're used to a life of luxury has been known to humble people and make them cooperative when given the opportunity to get back into society's favor. That's how people in Meltokio work; they want to get ahead in life any way they can. Hence Matthew Fenimore's involvement and subsequent fall from grace."

"Well, at least he won't be bothering you - _us_ \- at parties anymore," Sheena said, smiling. "He won't be bothering any of those poor women he used to torment anymore, either. Like you said, hopefully some of them will be willing to step forward with rape charges and demand he pay child support for their children, too. And to think, after all this time, we finally managed to get rid of Giannovio. He's _gone_. I'll never have to deal with him again. I almost can't believe it!"

"And thankfully he won't be able to hurt anyone again." Zelos beamed her a big grin. "Heh. We are just that awesome, babe, aren't we? See what you can accomplish by being patient, carefully planning things, and constantly looking for opportunities?"

"Yeah, I know, you're a very patient, crafty manipulator with an excellent track record for success," she muttered, giving him a glare that would have been far more effective had she not been smiling at him so admiringly. "And for the record, while I doubted your choice of involving _Harry McHenry_ in this, I never doubted _you_ , that you'd get rid of Giannovio."

And the best part was that Zelos knew she meant that. He would never understand why she trusted him, but he couldn't deny that she'd placed her faith in him to deal with problems like this. Zelos grinned and gave her a quick kiss. "Heh. Glad I could live up to your expectations, my lady. And you and your people certainly helped make this possible, too. It really is impressive how you guys can figure out anything."

"Yeah, we're proud of our ability to get information," Sheena said, returning his grin. A moment later, though, her eyebrows rose hopefully. "So did the king mention who might be taking over as Foreign Minister?"

Zelos shook his head. "Not yet. Right now that's the least of his concerns. Heck, the paperwork on the annulment of Giannovio's title isn't even complete yet!"

She sighed. "I suppose not. I guess I'm just hopeful you'll get the job."

"Hey, one step at a time. I'll make sure my name is in the hat when that time comes." Because that was one thing he'd decided after hearing everyone's encouragement at Lloyd's New Year's party: he wanted that job. They'd sincerely thought he'd be a good fit for it, and he...well, he wanted to make Sheena proud to be dating him by doing something that helped people. It was crazy, _him_ seeking a legitimate, demanding _job_ , but the thought had grown on him to the point of truly wanting it. And if his Michi experiment was any indication, another 'crazy' idea would hopefully experience the same kind of transformation. He waggled his eyebrows knowingly. "Remember, patience is a virtue, sweetheart."

"Don't remind me," she grumbled, but then she smiled again and sighed, tipping her head back against the wall. "Ah, _finally_. Maybe now I can do my job as an emissary without that bigoted creep constantly breathing down my neck!"

"Looks pretty likely to me." A thought struck him. "Oh, and speaking of which, the king wants to meet with you. He needs to discuss how this will affect your job and probably ask about Giannovio's failings. I got the feeling this time he'd actually listen to your complaints. Maybe, if you're lucky, he'll even apologize for doubting you before this."

"Eh, I don't care about an apology; I'm just glad that whole saga is finally over, the Sylvaranti people are safe, and that idiot is gone for good so I can actually enjoy my job," Sheena replied. "When does he want to meet?"

"Later this afternoon. I'm supposed to escort you back for it." Zelos motioned at the disarray of boxes on the floor. "Assuming you don't have any other pressing plans."

She shook her head. "Of course not; spring cleaning is nowhere near as important as this. And believe me, I want to tell him everything Giannovio's done." She paused, biting her lip as her eyes turned back to his, then smiled faintly. "Then we have time for lunch before we head to Meltokio, don't we?"

Zelos grinned. That was what he'd hoped to suggest: a picnic out by the lake, seeing as it was a lovely late winter day, not too cold and with plenty of sunshine. "We sure do, love."

"Great! Then let me put this stuff away so I don't have to deal with it when I get back."

"Sure."

Sheena beamed him a happy grin, then pressed another quick kiss to his lips before stepping around him and starting to pick up some of the stray items scattered around the room. For a moment, Zelos was tempted to help her, but then his eye caught on the brown _thing_ Michi had given him, and he wandered back over to her futon where he'd tossed it earlier, bent down to pick it up, and finally took a good look at it. It was a leather wall scroll, on which was written some fancy Mizuhoan symbols in black ink. It wasn't as nicely made as Sheena's - the edges weren't quite straight and there was a tiny smudge of black ink beneath one of the characters - but it was clearly homemade, probably by Michi, and it was nice enough. He wished he knew what it said, but the Mizuhoan language was something he'd never had any reason to learn before, and after Sheena had told him there were thousands of confusing, similar characters like this in the traditional language, he'd decided not to bother _trying_ to learn it, either. Fortunately, the Mizuhoan people spoke the same language as the rest of Tethe'alla, and they could read and write it, too, but they still used their old language in their books and 'secret ninja notes' because no one else could read it. The problem was that when something like this fell across his lap, he really _didn't_ know what it said, and right now he wanted to hear Michi's message to him.

Zelos stood up, holding up the scroll, and a moment later Sheena joined him, her eyes narrowing. "Is that mine? I don't remember seeing it before..."

"Nope, not yours," he replied. "It's mine, actually."

She gave him a disbelieving look. " _Yours_?"

"Yep, mine. Michi handed it to me a little bit ago. I'm not sure what it is yet, though. He pretty much just shoved it at me and ran off." She motioned for him to let her see it, and he handed it to her, both of them leaning back against her dresser while she observed it. Zelos's eyes narrowed as a grin appeared on her face. "What?"

Sheena let out a soft laugh. "Heh. Looks like you've made a devoted little friend here."

Zelos couldn't resist grinning as she glanced at him again. "So you don't doubt I can remove dangerous Foreign Ministers from power, and yet you doubt the Great Zelos's ability to charm people of every age and race throughout Tethe'alla?" Sheena rolled her eyes, but her grin never faltered. "And what amazes me most is I didn't even have to _use_ those Chosen One charms to win him over."

"Good," she replied, her eyes softening. "You don't need to use those stupid, over-the-top charms to win real friends, Zelos; you're charming enough just the way you are."

Martel, how he loved this woman, and he would never cease to be amazed by her insistence that, despite all the stupid, selfish things he'd done, he was still a good person. She didn't realize how much that meant to him, how deeply it touched him and made him want to live up to her faith in him, did she? Eh, that was okay; he just knew he would never stop trying to make her glad she'd chosen to be with him.

Smiling softly, Zelos leaned toward her and gave her another kiss, unable to find the words to express his gratitude but hoping that would relay a portion of it. And thankfully, her smile when he pulled back indicated it had. He cleared his throat and motioned at the scroll. "So what's it say?"

"It's pretty simple, actually. Loosely translated, it says, _'Thank you for talking to me, and welcome to Mizuho. I'm glad you're here.'_ " She arched an eyebrow at him, a playful, teasing smile on her lips. "Someone is quite smitten with you."

"Heh," he said, his face growing warmer. For as encouraging as that message was - the reminder that Michi would like it if Zelos one day moved here - he was just glad Michi's message wasn't more explicit than that. If it had been, it might have tipped Sheena off to its real meaning. It was just so _nice_ to know Michi liked him enough to make him this. But right now, he wouldn't dwell on that for fear Sheena would ask what he'd said that had left Michi so enamored of him. _Time for a subject shift_. "Looks like that book was a hit, eh?"

Sheena grinned. "You have _no_ idea. He's been here every afternoon the past few weeks to read. Give him another week and he'll probably have it memorized."

"I guess I picked well, then." He took the scroll from her and held it up, admiring the writing. While the calligraphy was sloppier than that on Sheena's scrolls, the symbols themselves were beautiful. Confusing, but very interesting to look at.

And just like that, it hit him. If he was seriously considering one day asking Sheena to marry him, then he would need to know how to read this language. He'd avoided it because it seemed so difficult - because seriously, _thousands of similar characters to learn?_ \- but refusing to study it for that reason wasn't an option unless he wanted to be known as a lazy bum. Considering how long it had taken him to master the angelic language, this one would take years. Languages, after all, really weren't his forte. But he couldn't say 'no' if he _did_ eventually decide to marry her, and so there was no better time to start working on that than now - and there was only one way to start learning it: asking Sheena to teach him. Now, to get her to do that without betraying _why_ he wanted to learn it...

Hm...he had an idea, but whether she'd bite or question his sanity was anyone's guess. It was worth a shot, though. He held up the scroll, looking it over. "I wish I could read this for myself, though. Someday I'll have to learn some of these pretty symbols and the basics of your written language." He glanced at her, unsurprised to see her eyebrows rising as she observed him. "I mean, I know you guys want to keep all your 'mystical ninja knowledge' secret, but how can I write love letters to the love of my life - or read hers back to me - if I don't even know the basics of her 'secret ninja language'?"

As she always did whenever he expressed such sentiments, Sheena looked away, her cheeks reddening, and let out a soft, flustered laugh - and, even better, it caught her off guard enough to distract her from the craziness of his suggestion. "Well, I could give you a few pointers and lend you a book if you want," she said, glancing up at him shyly.

 _Mission accomplished_. Zelos arched an eyebrow, hoping to come across not only as sincere, but as innocent and inconspicuous rather than as someone scheming to make even more pieces of his new Grand Master Plan fall into place. "Do you have one?"

"Somewhere or other, assuming I can figure out where I put it. It's pretty childish since we start teaching the basics to five-year-olds, but it would give you an overview." She eyed him closely. "Are you really serious about this? I mean, dry language books aren't the first thing I go for when I'm looking for light reading."

"Yeah, actually, I am," he said lightly, trying to make it look like casual curiosity rather than a potentially big deal for him. "No, you're right, it isn't really light reading, but I _do_ think it would be fun to be able to work my way around a 'secret language.'" He held up the scroll. "And like I said, I'd like to be able to read this for myself. Of course, that's assuming you don't think anyone here would throw a hissy fit if they found out about it."

Sheena shook her head. "I can't imagine anyone would. Well, except Orochi, of course, because knowing him, he'd decide you were only interested in it so you could steal our secrets and sell them to the highest bidder."

His face lit up. "Oh! Y'know, I hadn't even _thought_ about that..." Sheena gave him a warning glare, and he lifted his hands innocently, laughing. "I'm kidding! I'm kidding. You know I'd never do that. I may be an idiot, but even _I_ know what you ninjas would do to me if I tried to sell your secrets."

"Yeah, we'd skin you alive and stick your head on a pike to serve as an example to anyone else considering it," she muttered, but the playful gleam in her eye told him she was joking. "And I know you'd never do something like that anyway."

"Of course I wouldn't. I love you too much to disappoint you like that." She blushed again and let out a soft, shy laugh, and a moment later Zelos gave her an eager smile. "So about this book...you gonna lend it to me or not?"

She watched him a moment, shaking her head in amazement, then sighed. "Okay. If you really are curious, I won't stop you. Remind me to find it for you before we leave."

 _Heh. That was too easy_. "I will." A moment later, though, he thought of something else. "Oh! And remember that concert we were talking about a few weeks ago?"

Her eyes lit up in recognition. "The one that sold out on the first day?"

"That's it. Well, thanks to a few of my contacts, I managed to score two tickets for some very, _very_ good seats to next week's show. So, what do you say we have a nice, romantic, candlelit dinner before the show..."

Sheena arched an eyebrow as he trailed a seductive finger over her cheek, amusement flickering in her eyes. "That depends. Will _you_ be the one cooking?"

Uh oh. Zelos knew where she was going with this. Of course, as embarrassing as his last attempt to cook a meal for them had been, the truth was it had been worth it for the playful teasing the disaster had lured out of her. Naturally, he had defended himself by saying he'd never had much practice before their journey because Sebastian had always cooked for him, and Zelos had never cared enough about his hunnies to cook for them himself - and even if he had, they would've just praised him regardless of how it tasted. Now that he thought about it, though, making his hunnies eat food that tasted like burnt bananas while they giggled and pretended to love it for fear of offending the Chosen _would_ have been amusing...but eh, it was too late to try that now, and he refused to subject Sheena to anything that awful for fear she'd never let him cook for her again, which was unacceptable when he _wanted_ to do nice little things like that for his girlfriend.

"Of course I'm cooking!" He abruptly pointed at her. "And don't worry, Sebastian's given me some pointers so it should taste better than last time."

"'Should' being the key word there," Sheena muttered, smirking. "I dunno, though. I had an awful lot of fun teasing you about that..."

Pouting, Zelos lifted his hands defensively. "Oh, c'mon, it was edible! It wasn't, like, Raine-quality bad or anything! I actually _used_ all of the ingredients listed in the recipe!"

She gave him an unimpressed look. "I hate to break this to you, but 'edible' isn't the word most people are looking for to describe their cooking."

He grinned wryly. "Seriously, sweetheart, that was _four months ago_. I think I've improved since then. It's not like I haven't been practicing so I won't make more stupid mistakes!" His voice lowered as he remembered the last time, which...well, okay, so it really _had_ been pretty bland, tough, and dry. "Like forgetting the salt. Or overcooking the chicken."

For a moment, Sheena eyed him warily, but then her face softened and she shrugged. "Eh, maybe you have. Okay, fine. I'll be brave and give it another shot, see if you've improved. _Or not_ ," she added under her breath.

Heh. Perfect. Zelos really did want to please her, and he was glad she was giving him another chance to do so. And to hopefully make up for that last failed meal. At least he really _had_ learned a lot from it and shouldn't make the same mistakes twice. "And then after that we can go listen to what is apparently some phenomenal music." He arched an eyebrow. Even after so many months, part of him was still nervous that she wouldn't like his idea for a date. It was ridiculous after all the ideas she _had_ approved, but he didn't want to suggest something that she dreaded yet felt obligated to agree to, either, and so he always made a point to verify her opinion. "So...you game?"

As he'd hoped, Sheena smiled. "Of course I am. I'm looking forward to it already."

"Good," he murmured, giving her another quick kiss. "Me, too."

For a moment, they just watched each other, still smiling, but then Sheena breathed in deeply and pushed herself away from the dresser. "Well, I have some things to put away before we can have lunch and get back to Meltokio, so I really should get to that."

" _And_ you have a book to find for me," Zelos quickly reminded her. "Maybe you can even give me a general walkthrough of the language while we're eating."

Sheena shook her head, a faint smirk appearing on her lips. "This coming from the guy who got his hunnies to do his homework for him in school so he didn't have to study."

"Hey, even I get curious sometimes!" He grinned as he remembered Lloyd once asking her the same upon learning about the Mizuhoan language. "And unlike Mr. Attention Deficit Disorder Dual-Wielding Dude, I promise I won't lose interest after three minutes." After all, when it was something truly important, like this would be if he decided to ask her to marry him, he knew himself: he would see it through. He only gave up on things he saw no value in, and this wasn't one of them. And when he got good enough with the language - and he _would_ one day get good enough with it - he _would_ write her love letters in it. It would be good practice, and really, what better way to tell her he loved her than learning something special to her so he could communicate with her like that?

Her eyes narrowed as she watched him, but then, clearly sensing his sincerity, she laughed softly and shook her head. "Okay. Let me see if I can find that book for you."

"Thanks," he said, grinning again. Still shaking her head in disbelief, Sheena headed into the main room, presumably to do that, and Zelos's eyes darted around her room, taking in the mess. It was the weirdest impulse, but he suddenly wanted to do something to thank her. "So how can I help you clean up?" he called out to her.

She reappeared in the doorway, her eyebrows rising. " _You_ are actually volunteering to _clean_? I thought that was below your social status and pay scale."

He shrugged. "Sure, why not? It's not like we have all day if the king wants to meet with us this afternoon."

"Oh...right." Sheena bit her lip, watching him again, but then she looked around, clearly realizing just how huge the mess here was. "Um...well, you could start throwing this stuff in boxes and setting them in my closet. I'll go through them later."

"Boxing stuff up," he replied, nodding curtly and stepping away from her dresser. "I can do that. And then maybe, if we have time, we can take our lunch - and that book you're looking for - down to the lake and have a picnic."

"You and that book again," she murmured, but then, smiling, she walked back over to him, hopped up on her toes, and pressed a sweet kiss to his lips. "Sounds good."

"I thought so, too." He gave her another quick kiss, then grinned wickedly and motioned for her to 'shoo.' "Now, don't you have a book to find?" Sheena burst out laughing, but with a grin and a mumble to herself about her 'crazy boyfriend,' she headed back into the main room to do as asked.

Before grabbing a box to begin packing up her stuff, Zelos's gaze drifted back to the scroll from Michi and his grin softened. He was on the right track here; he knew he was. This _felt_ right to him - all of it. He wasn't sure he understood it yet, but something inside him was telling him he was doing exactly what he was supposed to be doing.

Now he just hoped life didn't throw something new at him that would wreck all the progress he'd just made.

0~*~0


	4. The Side Effects

**Part 4: The Side Effects**

The next two weeks rushed by in a blur of meetings, leaving Zelos barely enough time to breathe. With Giannovio gone, the king was doing a massive clean-up of the position, figuring out all the places Giannovio (who was being uncooperative, claiming he'd only answer their questions in exchange for a 'nicer' cell, a request the king had soundly denied) had had his fingers in, all the promises he'd broken, all the business deals he'd been working on, and a bunch of other shady dealings that made Zelos sick just thinking about them. The king hadn't started searching for Giannovio's replacement yet, not wanting to hand the position to anyone in its current state, and so, out of sheer desperation, he'd asked Zelos to fill in again, on an even more significant basis than he had during Giannovio's forced time off after New Year's, until a new Foreign Minister could be found. Zelos had been happy to agree, not only wanting to make sure the king correctly handled all the problems they uncovered, but so the king could see how well he could handle the full job - and, more than that, so _he_ could see how well he could handle the full job. It had proven to be oddly satisfying, doing difficult work like that, but it also felt like a natural fit for him, and he was relishing the challenge - and especially the praise he received from those people who told him he was infinitely better to work with than Giannovio had been.

On the down side, though, he was _always busy_ , more so than he'd ever been before, to the point of asking to put the negotiations about the removal of his title on hold until things settled down. Fortunately, he knew the position wasn't normally this demanding and time-consuming and it was just this way now because of the mass clean-up they were doing and because of all the people who, now that Giannovio was gone, finally felt comfortable coming to Meltokio to air their grievances about him, but still... _oy_ , had he been busy. He was just glad Sheena continued to come see him whenever she could (and that the king had asked her to lend her opinion as an emissary regarding the issues that arose, thus involving her in the matter as well) or he'd be going crazy missing her. As it was, he was missing regularly seeing Michi and Mizuho. After all, he had an experiment to continue working on and a big decision to be making soon, and he refused to let himself forget about it.

Thankfully, things had finally calmed down somewhat, with the worst of the storm now past, and at the moment he actually had a bit of spare time between meetings - not enough to go to Mizuho, but enough to unwind for an hour or two before his next meeting, one that _finally_ got back to the 'title removal' issue. And so, knowing that just because he was busy didn't mean time had stopped moving toward his Sheena/Mizuho deadline, he took advantage of the free time to settle on his bed and continue reading the language book Sheena had given him. The characters were quickly blurring together, though - everything looked the same! - and he rubbed his eyes, reminding himself he couldn't give up. He just wished he had more time to devote to studying. While he read bits and pieces of the book whenever he could, he still felt like he was missing the key. Seriously, talk about a hard language. Sure, he knew it was _meant_ to be difficult so only other ninjas could understand it, but still, this was worse than he'd expected. He was just glad he didn't need as much sleep anymore so he could use the time to study a few characters each night before bed, otherwise he wouldn't have gotten anywhere; if there was a trick to 'seeing' the characters as individual pieces, his brain had yet to pick up on it. Or maybe his brain was simply too consumed and distracted by everything else going on in his life to focus like he wanted.

Regardless, he _would_ take advantage of this time to work through a few lessons. At least for all his struggles to recognize the characters, between Sheena's brief explanation of the 'basics' two weeks ago and the pictures in the book, he felt like he was starting to get a general feel for it. Sure, he was nowhere near able to read text yet, and the grammar portion was a giant mystery to him, but at least he had learned a few basic vocabulary words and could associate certain symbols to objects or concepts. He wasn't worried yet, though; after all, there was no rush for him to learn this, not when he wasn't certain he'd even _have_ to learn it yet, depending on the decision he made about Mizuho. Besides, chances were he would pick up more from listening to Sheena's mini-lessons than he would from reading a kid's book anyway.

He'd just reached the section on sentence structure and how it differed from Tethe'alla's common language when a knock came from the front door. His eyes narrowed and he lowered the book to his lap. A visitor, eh? There went all plans of learning about sentence structure. The thing was, for once he wasn't expecting anyone, not even his hunnies since their visits to try to steal his heart had tapered off months ago, ever since he'd made it clear he was staying with Sheena as long as she would tolerate him. In fact, other than an occasional visit from Seles when she wanted to scold him about something, Sheena was the only one who regularly dropped by anymore. Maybe it was her?

Zelos leaned forward, listening carefully as he heard Sebastian open the door. The door to his room was closed, though, and it was too thick to let him clearly hear voices through it; after his angel transformation, he'd found his old door was too thin and he'd heard _everything_ in the house, making sleep difficult, and so he'd had a thicker one installed - one that was currently preventing him from determining his guest's identity. Sliding his legs off his bed, he tossed the book on his desk and headed toward the door to listen. While he couldn't make out much, he _could_ hear Sebastian apologizing and saying the master wasn't taking guests...damn, not Sheena, then. His visitor quickly resumed speaking, though...and amidst the low mumble, Zelos caught the word 'Mizuho.' Instantly, he opened the door and stepped onto the balcony...and his jaw dropped as he looked down at the entrance.

" _Michi?_ "

Michi's eyes widened, and he quickly looked around until he spotted Zelos standing on the balcony. A faint smile appeared on his lips. "Zelos!"

Sebastian turned as Zelos headed to the stairs and descended them. "Master Zelos, do you know this child?"

"Yeah, I do," Zelos replied, his mind racing. "It's okay, Sebastian. You can let him in."

"Very well, sir," Sebastian replied, bowing his head.

Reaching the main floor, Zelos joined the two as Sebastian closed the door. Oh, Martel, what could this _mean?_ The worst case scenario was obvious: something had happened to Mizuho - or, worse, to Sheena - and Michi had come here to get help. Was she hurt? Was she dead? Why would they send _Michi_ here to get him? Or had Michi taken it upon himself to find him and bring him back? _This is bad...this is bad..._

 _Stay calm_ , he quickly told himself. _Don't jump to conclusions. Panicking won't help anyone. Find out what's really going on first and_ _ **then**_ _panic. Well, unless not panicking is required to save Sheena._ "Michi, what are you doing here?"

Michi, however, was looking around again, his eyes wide. "Wow. You live here, Zelos?"

Despite his concern, Zelos couldn't help smiling faintly at Michi's amazement. "Yeah, I do." His smile quickly vanished, though, and he knelt in front of Michi and grabbed the boy's shoulders. "Michi, why are you here? Did something happen to Mizuho?" He waited while Michi continued looking around, but his patience quickly ran thin and he squeezed Michi's shoulders tighter, regaining his attention. Michi's face darkened as he shook his head. Okay, so if the problem wasn't Mizuho...his heart clenched. "Is Sheena okay?" Michi's face didn't brighten, but he _did_ nod, and Zelos sighed in relief. But he still had a huge list of questions that _required_ answers, and he looked Michi over carefully. He didn't see anything wrong with him, although he did look a little dirty (which was normal for him...no wonder Sebastian had assumed he was a street urchin and tried to send him away), but that was just a general impression. He squeezed Michi's shoulders again. "Michi, are _you_ okay?" That time, though, Michi didn't answer at all, and he looked away, his face darkening. _Uh oh._ "Michi, what happened? Why are you here?"

Michi's eyes darted briefly at Zelos before looking away again. "I...I had to leave Mizuho. I couldn't stay there anymore. So I came here instead."

Zelos blinked at him blankly, his heart pounding faster. _Michi had better not mean what I'm_ _ **afraid**_ _he means, because if he does_... "Are you saying you came all the way here by yourself?" Michi nodded again, and Zelos gaped at him, stunned. "Why?"

Michi's frown deepened, and for some reason, Zelos thought he looked both _sad_ and _mad_ , an odd combination that made his concern rise again. Finally, when Zelos squeezed his shoulders again, Michi sighed. "Orochi found me at Sheena's house reading that book you gave me, and he figured out it was from you."

In the blink of an eye, Zelos's heart plummeted. Aw, _crap_. That was _not_ good, and he quickly inferred he wouldn't like anything else Michi said, either. Despite that, he carefully schooled his face into an expressionless mask. The last thing he needed was Michi seeing his alarm; Michi was already upset enough, and panicking would make this even worse.

He took a deep breath, forcing Michi to look him in the eye. "Go on."

"He started yelling at me," Michi said, looking away again. "Sheena tried to calm him down, but then he said some bad things about you, and she got mad at him, and he got mad at her, and I snuck out while they were shouting at each other. Chief Igaguri was out, so I snuck into his house, found a map, and came here." His face twisted in exasperation, leaving Zelos uncertain whether he was about to burst out crying or screaming. "Agh, I _hate_ that place! I wasn't even doing anything bad! And Mom keeps yelling at me to learn to fight, and my sister won't talk to me, and nobody likes me, and...and..."

"Hey, hey. Calm down, Michi." Zelos looked up at Sebastian, who was standing at the base of the staircase, awaiting orders. "Sebastian, could you get him a glass of water?"

Sebastian bowed his head. "Of course, sir."

Once Sebastian had retreated to the kitchen, Zelos stood and pulled Michi toward the couch. "C'mon, kid, let's sit down." Michi hesitated, watching him guardedly, but then he nodded, knelt down, took off his shoes (even though Zelos really didn't care if people wore shoes in the house since it gave the maids something to clean), and followed Zelos to the couch, taking a tentative seat on the edge of the black cushion as if afraid he'd sink into it. Zelos waited until he was situated, then knelt in front of him. "That's better. First of all, are you okay? Were you hurt on your way here?" Thankfully, Michi shook his head, and Zelos released a sigh of relief. _Oh, good. One less thing to worry about_. "You're lucky you didn't run into any monsters."

Michi's gaze fell to his hands as he folded them on his lap, making him look far more innocent, naïve, and obedient than he was. "I hid from any I saw."

Zelos nodded, accepting that. Michi was a little small for his age, so it made sense he could easily sneak behind rocks or climb trees to avoid detection, especially if he'd paid any attention during his lessons on hiding by 'becoming one with nature.' "When did you leave Mizuho?"

"Yesterday afternoon."

 _...And now it was nearly noon of the next day_. Zelos's eyebrows flew upward. "You traveled all through the night?"

Michi shook his head. "I stopped in that town after the forest when it started getting dark." His eyes lifted back to Zelos's. "That was Sybak, wasn't it?"

"Yeah, it was." He suppressed a sigh. _So he really had been paying attention when I told him about it_. _Leave it to Michi to not listen when you want him to, and to listen when you wish he hadn't._

Unsurprisingly, Michi's eyes lit up. "It was really big, and there were so many people there, and they were all carrying books! I knew it _had_ to be Sybak!"

Zelos forced a smile, even as his heart continued plunging faster at the deteriorating situation, resulting in a building knot of dread in his gut. "Yeah, that was definitely Sybak."

Michi nodded knowingly. "And this morning after I left there, I crossed this really long bridge over the ocean..."

"The Grand Tethe'alla Bridge."

"Yeah!" Michi said, his face lighting up excitedly. "It was _huge_! I thought it would keep going forever! And then I finally found Meltokio...you weren't kidding about how big it is! I was so excited to see everything - it was even better than I expected! And everyone I asked knew where you lived, so I found your house easily." His eyes brightened further as he looked around the living room again. "I can't believe you _live_ here! This is nothing like the houses in Mizuho. It's amazing! Everything is so colorful and shiny!"

"Yeah, it's something else, isn't it?" Zelos murmured, biting back the urge to talk about how this place might _look_ nice and luxurious but it had always felt more like a gilded cage to him than the _home_ Sheena's felt like. His eyebrows rose pointedly as Michi looked back at him. "So no one from Mizuho knows you're here?"

Michi shook his head, his face falling. "I didn't see anyone following me. And I hid my tracks, too."

 _Michi is far more of a ninja than he realizes if he made it here safely, alone, without being followed_ , Zelos noted. And it was a good thing he was, because if anything had happened to him on the way...Zelos closed his eyes. As it was, even though he wassafe...this was _bad_ , and it was going to get a whole lot worse once his people figured out why Michi had run away - and where he had run _to_. Every single ninja would be seeking his head after this; after all, while Michi had always had problems in Mizuho, he never would have come here if not for Zelos. And even if they didn't string him up and quarter him, they would undoubtedly ban him for fear he would further 'corrupt' their youth. No, he hadn't told Michi to run away, but _they_ would never believe that. Sheena? Of course she would. But _Orochi_? Especially after finding that book? Not a chance. Chances were he wouldn't let it go, either, not until everyone knew how horrible Zelos was and insisted Igaguri ban him. Zelos didn't blame Michi for wanting to get away, especially after Orochi had reacted as he had, but _this_ was definitely _not_ the way to do it.

And Michi's mother...Zelos's gut tightened. The poor woman was probably terrified. First she lost her husband, and now her son ran away? The vindictive side of Zelos wanted to say it served her right for not listening to this kid and trying to force him into a mold that didn't fit him...but the selfish, realistic part recognized this incident was a disaster for the future with Sheena he'd been working so hard to achieve. His experiment with Michi, one he'd truly believed had succeeded, had suddenly veered into 'crash and burn' territory. It had gone too far, and now...now, the clearer he was seeing how this situation would play out, the more terrified he was becoming. He'd been doing _so well_ , but now the light of his successes and building hopes was flickering erratically, like a streetlight about to burn out. His mind was racing, searching for a way to fix this, but he couldn't see one. He couldn't keep his friendship with Michi a secret now; everyone probably already knew about it. Zelos knew Michi hadn't _meant_ to cause trouble; he just hadn't known where else to go, and so curiosity had brought him here, to a place he wanted to see anyway, in desperate need of a friend. Heck, Zelos suspected he would have done the same in Michi's position.

He sighed. In his attempt to get to know and care about someone in Mizuho, he'd accidentally turned himself into their enemy. He never _had_ managed to help Michi, either; all he'd done was mess up everything further, for himself, for Michi, for Michi's mother, for Sheena, and, heck, for everyone else in the village, too, by undoubtedly causing a panic over Michi's disappearance. And now...crap, Igaguri would lose any tolerance he'd once had for him, meaning his relationship with Sheena would be strained and doomed. And yet he kept going back to how awful he felt for this poor kid, too, being stuck in a place he didn't want to be and with people who didn't understand him trying to manipulate his life to be what _they_ wanted it to be. Michi was as scared and confused about the future as Zelos was. And the worst part was that while he wasn't mad at Michi, he should have seen this coming and prevented it from reaching this point.

 _This is what you get for trying to help someone who'd been heading for a meltdown,_ he silently kicked himself. His best efforts had just backfired, proving yet again that he had no business sticking his nose where it didn't belong. And now...now he'd just proven Orochi right about him and the chaos he would cause by talking to the villagers.

 _Nice job, Wilder_.

But no, not _every_ time he'd tried to help someone had backfired - and that was why he refused to accept failure now. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to clear away the fear and hopelessness clouding his thoughts and reminding himself that unless he stayed calm, things really _would_ spiral out of control. Until the guillotine actually fell on his neck, he still had a chance to salvage this - and he _would_ do so. He refused to give up Sheena without a fight, not when he'd had good intentions in befriending this kid. No, there was only one way to salvage this, and that was to return Michi to Mizuho before someone found him here; as tempting as it was to run, because taking responsibility and trying to fix a mess this huge was a terrifying prospect, being discovered here with Michi would be far worse. What was done was done; all he could do now was minimize the damage. And fortunately, he always had been good at getting out of bad situations. Sheena had commented once that he could talk his way out of anything using his brains and his charm; now, apparently, it was time to prove her right about him yet again.

Taking another deep breath, Zelos opened his eyes, only to find Michi looking around again, fascinated by the mansion. Now, to persuade Michi of what needed to be done without losing his trust. "Look, Michi, I'm really glad to see you again, and I'm especially glad you were able to see some new places. But unfortunately, I have to get you back to Mizuho."

Michi's eyes snapped to him and widened. "Zelos, no! Please, no! I don't want to go back there! I can't stand it there! I want to see more of the world!"

"I know you do," Zelos quickly replied, smiling sadly. "When I was your age, I occasionally did the same, and believe me, I'm not saying I _want_ to take you back to a place where you're obviously unhappy. But that doesn't mean you can stay here, either."

Instantly, Michi's face fell, as if he were a poor, affection-seeking puppy Zelos had just kicked. He looked stricken, stunned, hurt, and betrayed, an expression that suddenly made Zelos feel like a bad guy. "You...you don't like me or want me here, either?" he whispered.

Zelos sighed. "No, kid, that's not it, not at all. I need to get you back because I _do_ like you." He gave Michi another pointed look. "You care about your mom, right?"

Michi's eyes fell to his hands. "Of course I do."

Oh, good; Michi wouldn't suddenly pull a 'little kid argument' by denying something that was obviously true, because there was no reasoning with someone who took that route. "And because you care about her, you wouldn't want to hurt her, right?"

"...Right."

Zelos nodded curtly. Michi must not realize this yet. "Well, right now I bet you anything she's scared out of her mind, worrying about what's happened to you. And making someone worry like that...well, that _is_ hurting them."

Michi's eyes snapped up to his and widened. "But she _doesn't_ care about me! She hates me! She thinks I killed Dad!"

Well, on the not-so-bright side, that confirmed what Michi believed his mother's impression of him was and why. This wasn't the time to address that, though. Michi's trust in him had been shaken, and he needed to win it back first before he could delve into that. He steeled his face, needing to convey his sincerity. "Yes, Michi, she loves you. I know she does."

Michi vehemently shook his head and looked away, biting his lip as if holding back tears. "She's happier without me. If I was gone, then she wouldn't have to worry about me or get so mad at me all the time! I hurt her _by_ being there!"

Oh, no. Absolutely not. Zelos refused to let him believe that. "Hey, look at me." He gently grabbed Michi's arm, his heart breaking further as he saw Michi's lip quiver. "That's not true - you hurt her more by _not_ being there. You may not think she cares about you, Michi, but she does. No, I've never met her, but from everything you've told me, I already know that. Her over-protectiveness of you doesn't mean she's trying to make you miserable by restricting your freedom; it proves she _does_ care about you because it means she wants you to be safe. I know it may not seem like that at times, but trust me, she does. That's how parents work. They fight tooth and nail to protect their kids and guide them in the direction they think is best, because when their kids are grown up, they want them to be happy and successful." Well, at least _most_ parents did - except his own, of course, who'd detested him because they'd never wanted him, a sentiment his mother hadn't failed to reiterate with her dying breath. But he was a rare exception, the product of an unwanted marriage, its goal the breeding of a perfect host for Yggdrasill's dead sister's consciousness, and Michi was in a far more normal - and less twisted - position.

Instead of accepting that, though, Michi looked away again. "I don't want to go back to Mizuho, Zelos."

"I know you don't," Zelos replied, mimicking Sheena's typical method for dealing with upset kids by lowering his voice and keeping it steady. "I wouldn't either in your position. But I wouldn't be much of a friend if I didn't take you back to keep your mother from being hurt any more by your absence than she already is, would I?"

Michi eyed him a moment, then looked down at his hands again, his voice dropping to a whisper. "I guess not."

Agh, Zelos hated this. Michi shouldn't be miserable at home, but running away, while understandable, wasn't the answer, either. They needed an 'out,' a way to salvage this and twist it around to everyone's benefit. Right now, though, he only had one idea - an idea that had flickered through his mind whenever he'd thought about Michi - and while it was a long shot, this might be the best opportunity they'd get to make it happen. It was, after all, the only 'happy ending' Zelos could see coming from this, short of brainwashing Michi to become a willing, obedient ninja-in-training. If it _did_ work, it might even help Michi find a bit of happiness and present a way for Zelos to keep his precarious standing in Mizuho intact. In fact, if Michi's running away was any indication, he'd reached his breaking point; if something didn't change, soon, then Michi might do something even more drastic like, oh, run away to Flanoir. That, however, was only possible if Mizuho bit at Zelos's idea - and right now, that was a pretty huge, shaky assumption to be making.

Zelos squeezed Michi's arms, giving him a faint smile. "Listen, I'll come with you back to Mizuho and see if I can help make things a little easier for you."

"Really?" Michi replied, his eyes widening again. "Even if it gets you in trouble?"

"Even if it gets me in trouble. I have an idea to potentially fix things, but I can't promise it'll work, so I'm not gonna tell you about it yet in case it doesn't pan out. I don't want to get your hopes up until I've talked to Sheena about it. So if I promise to do that, will you come back with me without giving me a hard time?"

Michi watched him a long moment, considering that, but finally he nodded. "Okay."

Zelos smiled. "Thanks, kid."

Without warning, the kitchen door opened and Sebastian stepped inside, carrying the requested glass of water. Zelos bit back a grin; seeing as it shouldn't have taken him this long to get a simple glass of water, he must have been listening until he knew the coast was clear. It certainly wasn't the first time Sebastian's timing had been impeccable - and Zelos was glad he'd waited because otherwise Michi would have gotten distracted before willingly agreeing to go back to Mizuho.

The butler walked up to Michi, bowed, and held up the glass. "Here you go, sir."

The 'sir' caught Michi off guard, leaving him confused and flustered, and for a moment he just stared at Sebastian. Zelos grinned; that was how Sheena had reacted the first few times Sebastian had called her 'miss,' too. While Mizuho's people were used to formality and tradition and held great respect for people in certain positions, they weren't used to such formality being directed at _them_. And Sebastian...well, Sebastian refused to _not_ do his job. The sparkle in his eyes whenever it happened (or whenever Lloyd recoiled at being called 'Sir Bud') actually told Zelos he found the whole thing to be amusing.

Rising to his feet, Zelos motioned at the glass. "Go ahead, kid. It's just water." Michi eyed the glass a moment, but then he finally accepted it. "This is Sebastian, my butler. Sebastian, this is Michi, a friend of mine from Mizuho."

Sebastian smiled pleasantly and bowed to him again. "It is a pleasure to meet you, sir."

Michi smiled shyly. "Hi."

Zelos glanced at Sebastian, who was watching him expectantly, clearly wanting an update on the 'situation,' then he looked back at Michi and cleared his throat. "Listen, Michi, I need to talk to Sebastian for a minute, so make yourself comfortable and I'll be right back. Okay?"

"Okay," Michi said, taking a sip of his water.

Sebastian arched a curious eyebrow, and Zelos nodded at the kitchen and the two headed there. Once the door had shut behind them, Sebastian turned back to him. "Sir?"

"He got in trouble in Mizuho, so he ran away and came here to see me."

"Ah, I see," Sebastian replied as if _everything_ made sense and was fine now.

 _Oh, how I wish it was, Sebastian_.

Zelos sighed, slumped back against the nearest counter, and rubbed his face. "This is bad. They're gonna kill me. Or, worse, ban me from Mizuho, which means not visiting Sheena there anymore - assuming she ever speaks to me again after 'corrupting' Michi by implanting 'strange ideas' in his head to run away from home."

"And we cannot have that, sir."

Despite the gravity of the situation, Zelos couldn't resist smirking. "You wouldn't be plotting to get rid of me permanently by shipping me off to marry a ninja chief, would you?"

"I would never dream of doing such a thing, sir," Sebastian deadpanned.

If he hadn't grown up with Sebastian's dry sense of humor, he probably would've believed that, but he had, and so he didn't. And that was the thing: while Zelos had never told Sebastian he was considering marrying Sheena, he had no doubt Sebastian had already figured it out. Sebastian had known, even without words, how important Sheena was to him, and he couldn't _not_ know Zelos was considering this now, nor why Zelos was so desperate to get rid of the title, why he spent so much time in Mizuho, and why he'd been so happy lately - and Zelos knew he approved of it, too, because if he hadn't, he would've made that clear long ago. He certainly used to voice his opinion about Zelos's hunnies enough, saying things about them that on the surface appeared complimentary but that, in actuality, were subtly scathing. But Sheena...Sebastian adored her. In fact, between Sebastian and the Pericheks, he suspected that was the closest he'd get to parental approval of his girlfriend - and while he'd never admit how much it meant to him, he was glad he had it.

"Yeah, _sure_ you wouldn't," Zelos muttered, arching an eyebrow at him.

Sebastian's expression remained unchanged. "Of course not, sir. I was simply stating how much I would miss my regular chats with Miss Sheena."

"Yeah, _that's_ what you're worried about," Zelos said with a snort. "And it isn't at _all_ appealing to think of getting me out of here for good so you can have the house to yourself and don't have to cater to my every whim anymore."

"I am happy to serve you, sir," Sebastian stated. "You know that."

Zelos sighed and waved that off. "Yeah, whatever. In any case, I have to take Michi back to Mizuho ASAP. There's no other way to salvage this situation."

The sparkle of amusement and humor in Sebastian's eyes - the only indication Zelos had that he'd been half-joking - vanished. "But sir, you have a meeting scheduled with the king and the church this afternoon regarding the removal of your title."

"Yeah, I know."

Oh, did he know. And he'd actually been looking forward to this one, too, since he _was_ finally closing in on his goal. But unfortunately, returning Michi to Mizuho immediately wasn't optional. Both options for his afternoon were critical for his future, one dealing with his future as the Chosen and the other with his future with Sheena. He was actually taken aback, though, to realize which of those was more important to him. And what shocked him most wasn't his realization that he'd chosen the right one to focus on, but rather how _easy_ that decision had been to make. When had Sheena become the most important part of his life? It had snuck up on him so quietly, the moment _she_ had overtaken his need for freedom from that title, but at some point she had surpassed everything else in his heart.

And Zelos wouldn't have it any other way.

"I need you to tell the king that something important came up and I won't make this afternoon's meeting," Zelos went on. "If they want to cancel it, fine. If they want to reschedule it, fine. If they want to hold it without me and hope I can get back before it's over, fine. But right now, this is more important."

Sebastian quirked an eyebrow, undoubtedly surprised by Zelos's priorities, but thankfully he bowed his head and didn't question him. "Very well, sir."

Zelos nodded. As he was turning back toward the main room, though, he thought of something. "Oh, but before we head back, Michi's been on the run since yesterday afternoon, and he's probably famished. Think you could cook us up some lunch? Accusations of starving the kid would be just as bad as accusations of kidnapping him."

"Of course, sir. I will begin working on something immediately."

"Thanks." Zelos smiled and quickly reentered the living room. When he didn't see Michi on the couch, he briefly worried the kid had run away again to avoid going back to Mizuho, but then he heard the sound of a key being pressed on the piano and spotted him standing there, gaping at it. A glance at the table showed the glass of water sitting there, empty. "Hey, Sebastian's making us some lunch before we head back," he said, shutting the door behind him. "I'm going to take you on a Rheaird. You ever seen Sheena's?"

Michi turned to him, his brows furrowing. "Rheairds are those flying carts, right?"

'Flying carts'? Well, he supposed that was the closest comparison a kid from a backwater village could make when he'd been restricted from investigating such curiosities. "Yep."

The boy's face brightened. "I've never been on one before, but they look really fun!"

"Well, you will be now." While Zelos would rather walk so they could talk, especially since this would probably be the last time he'd be allowed within 50 yards of Michi, doing so would take too long. He really didn't want Michi's mother worrying about him any longer than necessary, and the sooner he got Michi back there, the better things would be for everyone - himself and Sheena included.

Leaving the piano behind, Michi headed back to the couch and pointed at the chessboard on the coffee table. "Hey, Zelos, what is this?"

"That? It's a board game. It's called chess."

"'Chess'?" Michi said, cocking his head. "I've never heard of it. How do you play?"

Zelos's eyes narrowed as he observed Michi. "What, you want to learn?"

Unsurprisingly, Michi's eyes lit up and he nodded. "Please? I love games! I'm really good at them, too!"

 _'What kid_ _ **doesn't**_ _like games?'_ Zelos nearly replied, assuming Michi would never take to such a complicated, strategic game and would get bored just hearing about it...but then he realized he was jumping to unjustified conclusions. In fact, part of him actually wondered how Michi _would_ take to such a game, if his mind was geared to think this way or not. Lloyd had displayed excitement upon first seeing the game, too, but he'd quickly lost track of which pieces could move where and had gotten frustrated trying to think multiple moves ahead while deducing what his opponent was planning, and when Lloyd got frustrated with something, he quickly lost interest in it. But then, Lloyd always had been more of a 'brawns over brains' type of guy. Actually, the same held true for Sheena; while she understood the game, she'd always struggled to think strategically. At least, to her credit, she'd never gotten so frustrated with it that she'd given up completely. Every now and then they still played a game (she said it was good practice to think like that), but because strategic thinking wasn't her forte, chess had never been her favorite.

But Michi...well, it wasn't fair to assume Michi would react as Lloyd and Sheena had. Zelos already knew Michi was the opposite of those two in many ways, being a scholar at heart, not a fighter, so maybe the same held true for this. And if it turned out Michi _was_ geared for this, it might actually strengthen the idea Zelos was pondering. After all, he was still impressed that a 12-year-old who'd never set foot outside Mizuho before had found his way here in less than a day and was curious to see what else Michi could do.

Decision made, Zelos smiled and shrugged. "Okay. I'm game. We should have time before Sebastian finishes making lunch." Sliding into his usual seat at the table, he motioned at the other chair. "Have a seat, kid, and put on your thinking cap. This game is challenging."

His eyes still bright, Michi did as instructed, and Zelos proceeded to explain the different pieces, where they could move, and what they could do. To his surprise, unlike Lloyd, whose eyes had started glazing over after a minute, Michi was eagerly soaking it all up, absorbing the rules and asking clarifying questions that made it obvious he was understanding everything. Unsurprisingly, it also quickly became obvious Michi wanted to play the game - and when a glance at the clock showed Sebastian probably wouldn't be finished with lunch for at least half an hour, Zelos figured they had enough time to try one. Besides, other than Sheena, he'd had no one to play against in ages, and she was no challenge. This could actually be fun; he'd realized long ago how much could be learned about a person by watching them play this game, and he was suddenly interested to see how Michi did. Heck, while setting up the pieces, he even threw out a few little tricks to make sure Michi grasped how important it was to think long-term about his strategy and start setting up his offense from his very first move.

The first game ended quickly. Zelos wasn't actively trying to win, picking the strategy he adopted when playing against a newbie, but Michi was still figuring things out, and so he made typical beginner mistakes. He was putting significant thought into each move, though - and what impressed Zelos most was not only that Michi was identifying what he'd done wrong and what he should have tried instead, but that his assessment of his moves was spot on. The minute the game ended, Michi looked up at him hopefully, his message clear: he wanted to play another game now that he'd found his feet. Well, good; at least one loss wouldn't deter him. Since the first game had been so short and lunch wasn't ready yet, Zelos agreed...and from Michi's first move, he could tell that game would be different. His first few choices were good - not perfect, but he'd clearly learned from his earlier mistakes because he didn't repeat them. In fact, Zelos noted, he was actually making some surprisingly good choices for a kid who'd never seen the game before today. And when Michi managed to capture his first piece, Zelos grinned, congratulated him, and settled in for what was quickly turning into the first decent game of chess he'd played in months.

They played for several minutes, with Michi relaxing as he became more comfortable with the game, but suddenly he looked up at Zelos shyly. "Zelos, can I ask you something?"

Zelos's eyes narrowed slightly, and not for the first time, he was reminded of Sheena's shyness and hesitancy when asking certain questions. "Of course."

Michi pointed at the back wall. "Who is that lady in the picture?"

Inadvertently, Zelos tensed. Oh. Right. That stupid portrait of his mother. Sheena kept telling him he should take it down, because someone like Mylene Wilder shouldn't have such a place of honor in his home, and he knew she was right, and he truly did hate that it was always there, mocking him and reminding him of his past...and yet he wasn't sure why he'd left it there. It had been there so long that...well, the thought of it _not_ being there felt wrong, too. Before he took it down, he'd need something to replace it with, because the bare wall would probably be just as _wrong_ as the picture itself was.

But that was neither here nor there, and so he cleared his throat. "That's my mother."

Michi observed the picture. "She looks nice."

 _Nice?_ Michi thought she looked _nice?_ Yeah, _right_. A monster might be ridiculously cute - like the mandragoras, or penguinists, or starfish, or, heck, _bigfoot -_ but at the end of the day, a monster was still a monster. "Looks can be deceiving," he muttered.

Michi's head snapped upward. "Huh?"

 _Whoops, I said that aloud_. Zelos shook his head, dismissing that. "Eh, it's not important."

Michi watched him a moment. "Where is she?"

Zelos sighed softly. _It would've been too much to ask for this inquisitive kid to not ask questions about her, wouldn't it?_ Maybe he should start saying 'no' when people asked his permission to ask him questions. But Michi didn't seem to realize this was an uncomfortable subject for him, and since Zelos knew he wasn't poking at old wounds maliciously, he would let it go."She's dead. She died many years ago."

"...Oh," Michi whispered, his eyes widening. "What...what happened to her?"

For a moment, Zelos debated whether or not to answer that. He really, _really_ hated talking about his mother - telling Sheena the full story had been hard enough - and yet...well, he couldn't help wondering, too, if hearing the truth about her might actually gain more of Michi's trust. In fact, it might even get him to open up about his own family issues.

 _Ah, the hell with it_ , Zelos decided. Sometimes taking a chance and trusting someone was the only way to win their trust in return. Hard to discuss or not, he'd give this a shot; after all, maybe this could help lure out the truth about what had happened to Michi's father. Michi didn't need to hear all the details, but a few carefully chosen ones might just do the trick.

"Someone tried to kill me because I was the Chosen," Zelos said, his eyes focused on the chessboard. "Instead of killing me, though, their attack hit her. She died a minute later."

A glance upward showed that Michi's eyes had widened further, but then he quickly away again. "O...oh. I...I'm sorry. It was rude of me to ask about her."

Zelos smiled faintly. "Don't worry about it. You didn't know. Besides, it was a long time ago." Based on what Sheena had told him, he couldn't help thinking going into a bit more detail might actually help him uncover what was going on in that walled-up head of Michi's. It was worth a shot. _Ignore your own discomfort and think about how this could help this kid_ , he told himself. At least while this still haunted him and probably always would, it didn't bother him quite as badly as it once had. "For years I blamed myself for what happened to her. If not for me, she'd still be alive."

"How old were you?" Michi asked, watching him carefully again.

"Seven, like Sheena was when the Volt accident happened." Zelos paused as he gathered his thoughts, trying to think of what might resonate most with Michi, but it was hard to do when he didn't know Michi's story yet. This, though...well, he hoped this might work. "I watched my mother die right in front of me. That was when I started hating being the Chosen and began looking for ways to get rid of the title."

Michi nodded faintly, looking down at the chessboard again and making his move. "I can see why, if people tried to kill you because of it and hurt your family instead."

"Yeah."

Michi glanced up at him but quickly looked down again. "What about your father?"

Zelos eyed him a moment, but that time Michi wouldn't look at him at all. "He died even before my mother did. He was murdered for being the Chosen."

"O...oh."

And just like that, Zelos spotted the perfect opportunity to point something out. "That's why I learned to fight: because I wanted to be able to protect myself and those I care about," he said, moving his knight. "I didn't want anyone to be hurt again because of me. There are a number of bad and misguided people in this world, and sometimes fighting is the only way to prevent yourself or your loved ones from falling victim to them."

Michi observed the board a moment, then made his next move. "But ninjas don't just defend themselves or their families. They take jobs to kill people, and to destroy things, and to steal things, and to cause problems."

"Yeah, I know," Zelos replied softly. That was one reason why he was still leery of the village: because their activities _were_ shady at times. Ninjas _were_ spies, after all, and no amount of sugarcoating them could change that fact, nor the fact that they would use whatever means necessary to get a job done. "But those aren't the only types of jobs they take. Most are simple information-gathering jobs, and they don't take lives unless they absolutely have to. Sheena's told me they actually turn down most assassination requests, even if they pay well, because they're pointless. And when they do take those kinds of jobs, it's usually to help others. Y'know, like when the person they're supposed to kill is a tyrant. Or like when the king hired Sheena to assassinate Sylvarant's Chosen. She accepted that job to save everyone in Tethe'alla from suffering and to help Mizuho regain its standing with the king, not because she wanted to _kill_ anyone. And notice she didn't actually do it; she disobeyed her orders and found another way to fix the situation."

"But other ninjas would have done it without question," Michi mumbled.

Chances were Michi was right about that; his people tended to follow their chief's orders blindly. He still remembered one man there essentially saying, _'Why should we ninjas think for ourselves when the chief can think for us?'_ It sat wrong with Zelos, but then, that may not be a universal Mizuho thing; that might just be that one individual's mindset. Because obviously, there were people there who _did_ think for themselves - like Sheena.

"Maybe," Zelos said, shrugging. "I guess we'll never know, will we?"

Michi shook his head. For a moment he sat silently, watching Zelos make his next move, but then he whispered, "I still don't want to fight anyone."

Zelos arched an eyebrow. "Even if it's to protect your family?"

Michi didn't answer, but his furrowed brows indicated he was conflicted. Okay, so maybe trying to subtly lure the truth from someone so guarded wouldn't work; Zelos figured if someone had tried that method on him, it wouldn't have, either. In fact, people _had_ tried it on him and gotten nowhere, hence why they'd quickly given up. Maybe he just needed to ask the question. Directness had never worked with him because he'd always immediately changed the subject or acted stupid to distract the person and put them off their guard, but hey, this kid wasn't _him_. It couldn't hurt to try.

"Why don't you want to fight, Michi?" he asked.

Michi's eyes were trained solely on the chessboard, but the blankness in them made it obvious he wasn't looking at the pieces. A moment later, though, his eyes fell downward. "Because I don't want to hurt people."

 _And that tells me...nothing_. "Yeah, I caught that. But something must've caused that. You certainly didn't pick up that mindset from your people." That time Michi didn't answer at all, and Zelos leaned forward. _Time to play my hunch_. "Does it have something to do with your father?"

Michi's eyes widened and snapped up to Zelos, answering the question better than words could. "How...? How did you...?"

"How did I know?" Zelos asked lightly, as if it was no big deal, trying to put Michi more at ease. He needed him to feel comfortable talking about this - because one thing Zelos could tell was that Michi needed to talk about what had happened that day. After all, _he_ had certainly needed to talk about what had happened when his mother died; he just hadn't realized that until he'd sunk so far down that he'd almost been unable to lift himself out again. He observed the chess game, then took his turn. "I didn't. It was just a guess."

"O...oh," Michi whispered, looking down again shyly. "Y...yeah, I guess it does."

Zelos watched him, trying to gauge his frame of mind. On the bright side, Michi hadn't denied it or shut up completely. Now he just needed to keep him talking. "Y'know, Michi, if you want to talk about it, I'm willing to listen."

Michi looked up at him uncertainly, then looked back at the game. It was his turn, but his gaze was completely blank, making it clear he wasn't thinking about the game anymore. Finally, though, his head sank downward and he whispered, "It was my fault."

While Zelos doubted that, he knew better than to _say_ that, especially before he'd heard the entire story. But he _did_ believe that _Michi_ sincerely believed that. "What happened?"

The boy's eyes slid shut. "He...he was mad at me for sneaking into the woods to look at a nest when I was supposed to be training. I'd been checking it every day to see how long it took the eggs to hatch. When I came home, he yelled at me, and I yelled at him, and I...I told him...I told him I wished he'd leave me alone and stop ruining my life and making me do things I didn't want to do. I ran into the woods, and he followed me. And then he...he...he tripped on a tree root, and he slid on some mud, and he fell down the ravine, and he hit his head on a rock, and then he...he stopped moving. I thought he was trying to scare me and trick me into coming back, so I didn't go to him right away. Everyone said he was one of Mizuho's best ninjas, and he wanted me to be the best ninja after him, and I...I thought he was just being sneaky by not getting up, but he...he..."

Zelos sat silently, his heart pounding as he waited for Michi to continue, even though he already knew what was coming. Michi's face was red and his lips were quivering, clearly fighting back tears, a visual that tugged at his heartstrings. He almost didn't want to hear the rest of the story, but for Michi's sake, he had to.

"I...I finally realized something was wrong, and I climbed down the ravine to find out why he wasn't getting up, and..." Michi's voice caught in his throat. "There was so much blood, and he wasn't moving, and...and he looked at me, and he said...he said, _'Be good.'_ I tried to help him, to get him up, to stop the bleeding, but he was...he was..."

A soft sob burst out of him, breaking Zelos's heart along with it. "I'm so sorry, Michi." And oh, was he sorry. _This poor, confused, devastated, guilt-wracked child_.

A tear trickled down Michi's face and dripped onto his leg. "I killed him. If I hadn't yelled at him, he would've been paying more attention, and if I hadn't run off, he wouldn't have been in the woods at all, and if I hadn't said what I did, I wouldn't have cursed him and made him trip, and if I'd gotten to him sooner, he might...he might..."

Zelos couldn't hear any more of this. He knew exactly how Michi felt, and it had taken him years to put those feelings in their proper perspective. No one had helped him do so - the Pericheks had been a saving grace after the silent months he'd spent beating himself up, but he'd sensed their dislike for his mother and so he'd never told them the full story of what happened to her - and he'd never asked for help, either, leaving him to find those answers on his own. Eventually he had, but the years he'd spent trying to reach that point had been his own personal incarnation of hell. And he'd be damned if he let Michi spend the rest of his life thinking and feeling anything even remotely like he had.

He leaned forward, needing to impress this on Michi. "Okay, _stop_. First of all, what happened isn't your fault." Wide-eyed, Michi looked up at him and opened his mouth to protest, but Zelos quickly cut him off. " _No, it's not_. You didn't kill your father. Second of all, nothing you said or did could've changed what happened that day. I know, you've probably spent the past few years replaying the incident over and over again, thinking of all the things you should've done differently. Been there, done that. But what happened, happened. It's over. You can't go back in time and change it. Believe me, kid, if there was a way to do so, I would've found it a long time ago and changed my mother's fate."

Michi gaped at him. "But, I...I...!"

Zelos shook his head, looking Michi in the eye. " _No, you didn't_ , and _no, you couldn't have changed it_." He paused, weighing how to say this. This was probably beyond Michi's ability to grasp, but Michi didn't seem to like having things dumbed down for him. And if he wanted to be treated like an adult capable of making his own decisions, then Zelos would do so. "It's human nature to need to assign blame for the bad things that happen so we can punish those responsible. But the truth is, while sometimes it's clear who's to blame - because it _was_ obvious who killed my mother - other times _no one_ is responsible except fate. Fate apparently decided it was your father's time to die, and in that case, nothing you did could've changed it. If it hadn't happened like that, then it would've happened some other way. We can't argue with it; whatever will be, will be. Since most people don't realize that, though, they often find the easiest person to blame is themselves, even if they did nothing wrong. 'Survivor's guilt,' they call it. But just because we naturally slot ourselves into that role when we can't blame someone else _doesn't_ mean we're right. And here, with this... _you didn't kill your father,_ Michi. You didn't push him down that hill or hit him with a rock. _Fate_ did, and I'm sure it had a reason for doing so that we'll probably never know."

Another tear trickled down Michi's cheek. "But...!"

" _You. Didn't. Kill. Him_." Zelos leaned farther forward, his face set. "I may have only met you a few weeks ago, but I've seen enough to know you aren't a murderer. Even if you were upset and yelled at him, you never would've wished him harm. _Never_. Just because you told him you wished he'd leave you alone doesn't mean you 'cursed' him; those were just words said out of anger and frustration. Kids say that kind of stuff to their parents every day; I'm sure you'd said bad things to your parents before that, too, even though nothing bad happened to them because of it, right?"

Michi's gaze fell downward. "...Yeah."

Zelos nodded sadly. "So did I. The morning my mother was killed, I gave her a guilt trip over how little time she spent with me. I'm pretty sure I threw a temper tantrum, too, and that was why she finally went outside with me, where her murderer attacked us. Does that mean _I'm_ the one who killed her, just because I forced her to come outside with me?"

"...No," Michi whispered, still staring at his hands. "Of course not."

Good. Zelos was glad he recognized that much. Now he just needed him to see the same in himself. "Well, it's no different for you. If I didn't kill my mother just by putting her in that position, then you sure as hell didn't kill your father by doing the same. What we're responsible for is unwittingly putting the pieces in place for it to happen, not for actually _killing_ them. Someone else did that. I know, I know, saying those words to someone else is always so easy, isn't it? Unfortunately, saying them to yourself is a lot harder. But the fact is, Michi, you couldn't have known what would happen to your father that day, just like I couldn't have known what would happen to my mother that day. What you said didn't jinx him; they were just words all kids say to their parents, and words like those that are said just to say them and vent frustration, without any real meaning behind them, are empty. And his last words to you, telling you to be good, weren't said to scold you; they were words of love, because he knew if you were good, you'd have a happier, more fulfilling life. He was wishing you the best even in his final moments. _That's_ how much he loved you."

A few more tears rolled down Michi's face, his lower lip quivering as he finally looked up at Zelos again. "Really?"

 _Oh, Michi_. Zelos gave him a wistful smile. "Really. If he really hated you, he wouldn't have chased after you; he would've let you run away to get rid of you. Being overprotective was his way of showing you that he loved you. But here's a little secret no parent wants their kids to know: parents aren't perfect. They're human, just like us, and they make mistakes, just like we do; they occasionally make the wrong choice and mess things up. They aren't infallible; their words and actions aren't always the right ones. And since they _are_ human, they sometimes have trouble acknowledging their own mistakes. No one wants to be told they've handled something wrong. But don't ever doubt that everything your parents did for you, they did out of love. Maybe the way they did it wasn't the right one, or maybe it would've been right for any kid but you, but _they_ sincerely believed it was. They didn't mean to hurt you, or trap you, or suppress your spirit by making you do things you didn't want to do; parents just have trouble sometimes acknowledging that their kids aren't identical to them and, as such, have to figure things out for themselves and do what's right for _them_. It looks like that's what happened here."

The faintest of hopes flickered in Michi's eyes. "So you...you think Dad really did love me?"

"I know he did, kid," Zelos said, grinning. "A good parent is always willing to give their life for their kids, no questions asked, because of how much they love them. It's the same with your mother. She really does love you; she just doesn't know how best to show it."

"R...really?"

"Really. I've seen nothing about you that's not to like. All I've seen is an intelligent young man struggling to grow up and figure out who he is despite the nasty circumstances fate handed him, and some parents struggling to find the best way to express their love for their kids." Zelos smiled. "You're a good kid, Michi. You may not be what your people want you to be, but that doesn't erase the fact that you're smart, you're nice, and you have a good heart. You're true to yourself, liking what you like and doing what you want to do, and those qualities...well, there's nothing I respect more than a person who isn't afraid to be himself despite others' expectations. And if that doesn't describe you, then I don't know who it does."

For the first time since they'd ventured onto this subject, a faint smile appeared on Michi's lips as his eyes fell to his hands. "Thanks, Zelos."

Zelos grinned as Michi looked up at him shyly. "Just telling it like it is." Michi blushed at the praise, but Zelos's grin quickly faded. He already knew the answer to this, but Michi didn't know that so he'd act as if he didn't. "Michi, did you ever tell anyone what happened to your father?" Michi's face darkened, and as expected, he shook his head. "Why?"

Michi bit his lip. "Because I knew they wouldn't believe me. They never believed me. Not Mom, not Dad...Kuchinawa was the only one who was ever nice to me."

"And you didn't even tell him?" Zelos pressed, his eyes narrowing.

Michi shook his head again, his face a sad, wistful scowl. "I knew what everyone was saying, that I'd pushed Dad down that ravine, and I...I..."

"...You didn't want to take the chance he wouldn't believe you, either." Michi nodded, confirming his hunch, and Zelos sighed. Michi wasn't the only one who'd blamed himself for what happened; the villagers had blamed him, too, thus making his guilt that much worse and stopping him from telling them the truth. "Well, for what it's worth, _I_ believe you."

Michi's eyes snapped back up to his. "You...you do?"

Zelos shrugged. "Sure. Why wouldn't I? Was everything you said true?" As expected, Michi nodded. "Then I believe you. You trusted me enough to tell me what happened, something I know was very difficult for you to do, and as far as I know, you haven't lied to me, so I think that deserves some trust on my part, don't you?"

For a moment, Michi watched him, blinking in amazement, but then he smiled shyly and looked down at the chessboard again. "Thanks, Zelos."

Zelos returned his smile, and the two fell silent again, going back to the game, Michi's brows furrowing as he considered his next move. For a moment, Zelos just watched him, his mind racing. He'd just received a wealth of information that no one else in Mizuho had, and he had a hard time believing the other villagers, especially Michi's mother, _didn't_ want to know what he now did. What should he do? Should he tell them? Should he push Michi to tell them? Or should he just keep out of it and let them figure it out for themselves? He honestly wasn't sure, especially without knowing how the villagers were going to view _either_ of them now.

And what he'd just learned explained a lot: why Michi acted out, why he hadn't told his family the truth, why he hated the mere thought of hurting anyone, and why he didn't feel comfortable in Mizuho if he believed everyone gossiped about him. As sad as the story he'd just heard was, it was also exactly what Zelos had wanted: Michi to trust him enough to open up and tell him the truth. Now he just hoped Michi really did believe what he'd said, that _he_ wasn't to blame for it. Well, that and he had to figure out how to get the villagers to accept Michi's anti-fighting mindset without betraying Michi's trust in the process.

Those thoughts were abruptly cut off as Michi made his next move - a good one, Zelos noted. Biting his lip, Michi looked up again. "Zelos, can I...can I ask you something?"

 _...He still has to ask_? "Of course you can. You can ask me anything, Michi."

Michi watched him a moment, then he bit his lip and looked back down at the board as Zelos took his turn. "Did you know Kuchinawa?"

Zelos shrugged. "A little. I never talked to him much myself, but I met him a few times." _Not to mention he hated my guts for dragging Sheena through the Otherworldly Gate instead of letting him kill her, but that's not important right now_ , he silently added. "Why?"

Michi stared at the board another moment, but then he looked up again, his uncertainty obvious. "Was he a bad man?"

Zelos's eyes widened, then narrowed. Well, now, wasn't _that_ a problematic question? Just the simple mention of Kuchinawa's name was enough to make him bristle and kick his senses into full gear for fear the traitor was coming back to try to kill Sheena again. But Michi had said Kuchinawa had always been nice to him, meaning he didn't see him the same way. And that meant answering the question honestly would be...sticky.

Before he even tried, he had to know something first. "What have you heard about him?"

Michi's brown eyes fell. "Everyone called him a traitor because he challenged Sheena and then left Mizuho, but no one mentions him anymore. It's like he never existed."

Zelos arched an eyebrow. "Did he do stuff with you?"

Michi nodded. "Sometimes he took me out into the woods and taught me to think like an animal, saying we could learn to be better ninjas by watching how they lived. He was always nice. He pushed me to learn to fight, but he didn't make me feel stupid when I told him about all the stuff I liked." His voice lowered. "I always thought he was a good man."

Zelos bit back a snide, sarcastic comment about Kuchinawa and his loyalties, realizing the worst thing he could do was criticize Michi's opinion of someone he obviously admired. And really, from Michi's perspective, it made sense that he had. Kuchinawa had treated him like a _person_. Actually, knowing what Zelos did about Kuchinawa, he was actually surprised Kuchinawa _had_ been so nice to Michi, especially when Orochi was so strict with him now. It was the opposite of what he expected from the brothers; he would've thought _Kuchinawa_ would've been strict while _Orochi_ was kind and understanding. Maybe Orochi figured he had to take a different route so he wouldn't be compared to his brother? Zelos didn't know, but one thing he _did_ know was that Orochi's method wasn't working. Or maybe Michi's memories were faulty and Kuchinawa _hadn't_ been that nice to him and it was easier to believe the best of someone when that person wasn't around to prove him wrong? Heck, maybe Michi just idolized Kuchinawa because he was the first person who'd made a sincere effort to try to help him and couldn't see the truth about Kuchinawa past the blinders. Zelos didn't know, but regardless, he had to be careful what he said, because if this _was_ a case of a boy blindly idolizing an undeserving man, then anything negative Zelos said about him would be dismissed and Michi would get pissed at _him_ , which he really didn't want.

"I think Kuchinawa had his reasons for doing what he did," Zelos said slowly, taking his next turn. "I, personally, can't condone those reasons or how he held Sheena responsible for the Volt accident and for failing to kill Sylvarant's Chosen, or his choice to challenge her, or how badly he hurt her, or his choice to side with a bad guy like the Pope." A glance upward showed that Michi's face had fallen, and Zelos quickly went on, needing to clarify this. " _However_ , I can see where he was coming from and why he made the choices he did. In his mind, his reasoning was valid. The problem Kuchinawa had was that he couldn't let go of the past or accept that the Volt thing was an accident, and what pushed him over the edge was his refusal to understand why Sheena didn't kill Sylvarant's Chosen. In the end, those things consumed him, and that's why he walked a road he probably wouldn't have walked otherwise. His choices destroyed him, and that's why he ultimately left Mizuho.

"But does that make him a _bad_ person?" Zelos tilted his head, considering that. "I'm not sure I can answer that. It's not like I've never done anything similar; there was a time not long ago when I was confused and scared and desperate and, as a result, found myself walking a road that made me hurt and betray my own friends. I had what _I_ thought were good reasons for making those choices, but my friends...well, I wouldn't have blamed them if they'd never trusted me again. I think Kuchinawa is the same. He had his reasons for betraying your people, and yet they're justified in never trusting him again. To them, he _would_ be a 'bad guy' - although I suspect if he ever apologized, they'd still welcome him back. Heck, despite our similarities, _I_ see him as a 'bad guy,' too - but that's because I'm biased, having seen how he hurt Sheena. If he ever tried that again, I'd do whatever it took to protect her...but I'm not going to seek him out to punish him, either."

Seeing Michi watching him again, Zelos shook his head. It was so hard to make sense when he, personally, hated Kuchinawa for hurting Sheena, didn't want to offend Michi, and yet felt hypocritical attacking a fellow 'traitor.' "I guess what I'm saying is that 'bad' is in the eye of the beholder sometimes, and this is one of those times. His actions hurt people, but he had reasons for them that he sincerely believed were justified. Other people may see him differently, and their opinions are right, too. So if he was always nice to you, Michi, there's no reason you need to view him as a bad guy. You can see him however you want to; if you want to remember him as the man who was a friend to you, you can do so, and if you ever see him again, he can still be your friend. Just try to understand why the people he hurt can't see him the same way." Zelos cocked his head. "Does that make sense?"

Michi blinked several times, but then he nodded slowly. "I...I think so. Thanks."

They fell silent again, settling back into the game, but Zelos's mind was racing again. The situation with Kuchinawa had obviously caused this poor kid even more confusion and guilt than he'd had before. Since everyone in Mizuho had deemed Kuchinawa a 'bad guy,' Michi had probably figured that made _him_ a bad guy, too, since he'd liked Kuchinawa. Yeah, just what an already hurting kid needed: to believe he really _was_ a 'troublemaker' since he'd been friends with a 'traitor.' But how could he have known what Kuchinawa was scheming? He couldn't; Kuchinawa's true colors had surprised even Sheena and Orochi. In fact, Michi was probably confused about what Kuchinawa had done; he probably didn't know the circumstances surrounding Kuchinawa's betrayal. And really, who could blame Michi for liking someone who'd treated him well? Zelos would have done the same. He just hoped he'd helped reassure Michi that none of Kuchinawa's 'badness' reflected on him. And since Michi did seem to be relaxing a little, to the point of making some impressive moves in their game, he would take that as a positive sign.

They were nearing the end of the game - Zelos could already see there was no way Michi could win anymore unless Zelos intentionally sabotaged it for himself, which he doubted Michi would appreciate - when the kitchen door opened and Sebastian stepped inside. "I apologize for interrupting, Master Zelos, but lunch is ready."

"Thanks, Sebastian." Without warning, though, it hit him: taking time out for lunch would waste time getting Michi home. The problem was, Zelos really wanted to see how he handled the rest of the game, even if he couldn't win. _Multitasking it is, then_. "Hey, think you could bring it in here so we can keep playing?" Sebastian hesitated, looking unhappy about the suggestion ( _he's probably afraid we'll make a mess in here,_ _even though cleaning up after me is his job,_ Zelos figured _),_ but he also knew Sebastian couldn't turn down his requests. "Hey, we'll eat neatly," he added innocently, then gave Michi a conspiratorial grin. "Right, Michi?"

Michi smiled and nodded, catching Zelos's look, then he, too, turned innocent, hopeful eyes toward Sebastian. Sebastian sighed and bowed his head. "Very well, sir."

He returned a minute later with two trays of food, on which sat a bowl of hearty beef stew and some freshly baked rolls - perfect for a kid who'd been outside in the cold and was probably starving - and set up two stands so the food could sit beside them while they played. They then went back to the game while eating...and soon, Zelos could see Michi's face fall in disappointment. Clearly he, too, had realized he couldn't win this game anymore. _For a kid who doesn't want to fight, he certainly still has a competitive spirit, doesn't he?_ Zelos thought, suppressing a grin.

Well, then, as he'd learned long ago, the best way to handle disappointment was a distraction. And what better distraction than some well-earned praise? "Are you _sure_ you've never played this game before?" Zelos said.

Michi's eyes widened as he looked up. "Why? Did I do something wrong?"

Zelos bit back a sigh. _Leave it to an insecure kid to think I'm accusing him of cheating._ "Are you kidding? Not at all!" He motioned at the chessboard. "I'm talking about the fact that you've only played two games and yet have already caught onto it a hundred times faster than anyone else I've ever taught."

"Really?" Michi replied, looking sincerely surprised by that. "I thought I was doing badly. I mean, I can't win this game."

Zelos's eyebrows flew upward. "Hey, do you have any idea how many games I had to play before I finally developed a strategy good enough to win? It was a lot. And no, I don't think you can win anymore, but Martel, kid, you already took more of my pieces in one day than Sheena's _ever_ taken from me! I'm impressed."

Michi's eyes widened, but then he smiled shyly and looked back at the board. "Thanks. I like this game. I like thinking like this, setting up a strategy and making it happen and adjusting for the other player's moves. I was always good at Go, too."

...Go? Oh, right - Go was a strategy game they played in Mizuho. Sheena had told him about it once, but he'd never had the chance to try it himself. "Maybe you can teach me to play Go sometime. It sounds like something I'd like."

"Okay," Michi said, smiling and nodding. "I'd like that."

Zelos returned his grin. "Me, too."

Other than an occasional comment from Michi about how good the food was, they fell silent again as they ate and played, and a short time later, they finished. Sure, as predicted, Michi lost, but considering his lack of experience, he had done _really_ well. And fortunately, Michi wasn't as disappointed as Zelos feared he'd be when he was finally checkmated.

Unsurprisingly, Michi looked up at him hopefully. "Can we play again sometime?"

"Sure," Zelos replied, grinning. "I'm partial to this game myself, and it's nice to have a worthy opponent for a change. Most people I usually beat right away, so they refuse to play with me again. This is actually the longest game I've played in ages. You're a natural at this kind of thinking, kid." Without warning, his eyes widened as his own comment triggered another thought. "In fact...I have a little test I'd like you to try, if you're game."

Michi's eyes lit up. "Sure! What should I do?"

Zelos stood and headed toward the stairs. "Just wait here a sec while I get something."

"Okay."

Michi began sopping up the remains of his stew with his bread while Zelos ran upstairs to his room and began digging through his closet. Okay, now where did that box end up? He knew he had some stuff left from his time at... "Aha!" he cried triumphantly, pulling a cardboard box off a shelf. Tossing the box on his bed, he tore it open and began rummaging through it (seriously, _why_ had he kept some of these papers and awards when he never looked at them?) until he located a small, flat mechanism with a large screen. With a grin, he grabbed it and headed back downstairs.

Michi looked up as Zelos rejoined him and held out the device to him, his eyes widening, but then he tentatively accepted it. "What is this?"

"It's a puzzle." Zelos sat down on the couch near Michi's chair, pointing to the various features. "If you push this button, it turns it on. These are the difficulty levels you can choose from...eh, since you've never done this before, let's give you an easy one." He pushed the 'Easy' button, and the screen flared to life. "There, now you have a random puzzle to work on. What this is is a picture that's been broken into a number of square pieces. You don't know what the picture is, but your goal is to recreate it in the shortest amount of time and using the fewest number of moves. The bottom right piece has been removed from the picture altogether, and you can 'slide' any adjacent piece into that hole by touching it and dragging it there, like this." He demonstrated, then let Michi try it. "If you really mess up, this is the reset button so you can start over. Got it?" Michi's eyes narrowed as he observed it, but then he looked up at Zelos and nodded. Zelos grinned and patted his shoulder. "Good. Then go to it, tiger, starting...now."

He pressed the reset button, then sat back and watched. For a few seconds, Michi just stared at the pieces, but then he began touching the screen, sliding the pieces around...and less than a minute later, the puzzle chimed, indicating he'd completed it. Zelos's eyes widened as Michi grinned and handed the puzzle back to him. "That was easy!"

Zelos took the device from him. Only 15 moves, eh? That...well, that was pretty good. But it was the easiest level, so it didn't say much. "Yeah, I guess so. How 'bout you try a more difficult level? You want to start with medium or just jump straight to hard?"

"Hard!"

"I should've figured," Zelos muttered, handing it back to Michi. "Press the green button to go back to the main menu, then touch the difficulty level you want."

Michi did as instructed, and as he had before, he observed the new puzzle, that time for nearly a full minute, before finally sliding the pieces around. All of four minutes later, he grinned again as the game chimed. "Done!"

Zelos's eyes narrowed, and he snatched the puzzle away with a, "Lemme see that." Only 67 moves in 3 minutes and 45 seconds for the hard difficulty? Talk about a great score. "...Wow. Okay, so hard is still too easy for you. Give the hardest level a try, kid. The picture is more complex, and it has quite a few more pieces, so it'll take you longer to complete, but you've got _me_ curious now how you'll do."

Resetting the puzzle to the level selection screen, he handed it back to Michi. Like the last two times, Michi started the puzzle and stared at it again, that time for far longer than he had before, taking a few absent bites of bread while he thought. Once he'd started moving pieces around, Zelos likewise finished his meal, watching the kid carefully. As eager as he was to see how Michi did, though, even _he_ was surprised when the puzzle chimed a little over ten minutes later.

"No way," Zelos murmured, his jaw dropping as he grabbed the puzzle. Roughly 200 moves in 11 minutes and 46 seconds. Michi had just completely blown his hopes out of the water. "Michi, that's incredible." His eyes snapped up to the boy. "How did you do that?"

Michi's eyes widened. "Huh? I dunno...I just envisioned the picture and put the pieces where they belong. It's not that hard."

" _Not that hard_?" This kid had no idea what this meant. Zelos released an incredulous laugh. "Yeah, okay, kid. Whatever you say."

"What do you mean?" Michi said, blinking at him blankly. "How long did it take you?"

"Thirteen minutes and...I think it was, like, fifty-two seconds for the hardest difficulty, and even _that_ was considered really, really good," Zelos replied. "If I'm remembering correctly, I don't think Sheena _ever_ managed to solve the two highest levels."

Michi's jaw dropped, amazement lighting his face. "Really?"

"Really." Zelos grinned broadly. "You're a smart kid, y'know that?"

His eyes widened even further. "I...I am?"

"Yeah, you are, no doubt about that. You're a natural when it comes to strategic thinking."

Zelos looked down at the puzzle again. Who would've thought? Maybe his 'idea' had a chance of working after all - or at least he _hoped_ it would, for both of their sakes. But right now they had more immediate issues to address before he could broach that idea with anyone. They had wasted too much time here already; now it was time to face Michi's people.

Rising to his feet, Zelos motioned for Michi to stay sitting. "Anyway, as much as I'd love to show you around Meltokio, I really do have to get you back. You've been gone a long time now, and I don't want your mother having a heart attack out of fear for you." He arched an eyebrow at Michi. "Are you okay with that?"

Michi blinked at him uncertainly. "You said you'll talk to them, right?"

Zelos nodded. "Yeah, I will." And by all means, he was bringing this puzzle along, too, because between this and the chess game, it had added considerable weight to his idea. If they were lucky, it might even make the punishment for this a bit more bearable.

Michi bit his lip again, but then he nodded. "Okay."

Good. No more arguments. "Just let me grab a few things and we'll be on our way."

"On a Rheaird!" Michi said, his face lighting up again.

"Yep, on a Rheaird." Zelos gave him a knowing grin. "You're not excited _at all_ , are you?"

A blush settled on his face. "Not about going back, but I am about riding on a Rheaird!"

"Thought so. Then just wait here a sec, okay? I'll be right back."

"Okay." Zelos gave him one last smile, then headed to the stairs. Before he even reached them, though, Michi whispered, "Zelos?"

He immediately stopped and turned. "Yeah?"

"Th...thanks." Michi glanced up at him, then looked down at his hands again. "For teaching me to play chess. And for lunch. And for...for listening and believing me."

Zelos gave him a wistful smile. He knew how it felt to have someone who actually believed in him and went out of their way to be his friend, and it had saved him in countless ways; how could he not try to do the same for someone who needed it? The universe would probably punish him if he _didn't_ try to help Michi. And, well, he _wanted_ to help - and while this could all go pear-shaped very, very easily, he couldn't help but think he had.

"You're welcome, kid. And I promise, I'll do my best to straighten this out, okay? I can't promise everything will be perfect after I talk to your people, but I will try."

Michi offered him another shy smile and nod. "Okay." Zelos returned both, then he headed upstairs, grabbed his traveling bag, and gave Sebastian a few final instructions. A few minutes later they were on their way back to Mizuho.

0~*~0


	5. The Results

**Part 5: The Results**

Realizing that landing the Rheaird near Mizuho would alert the villagers to their presence before Zelos was ready to deal with them, he instead touched down just outside the forest, leaving them a short walk to the village. Going through the front gate was another idea he quickly nixed, especially when he heard an unusual amount of commotion coming from the village, and so instead they detoured around it, remaining concealed in the surrounding forest until he spotted Sheena. At the moment she was standing in the street, talking to a woman Zelos guessed was Michi's mother, based on how distraught she looked, and so he waited until they finished before trying to get her attention. When Michi's mother finally left, Sheena turned and began heading in the opposite direction, her brows furrowed, looking tired and upset. As he'd suspected, Michi's unauthorized excursion had caused more people concern than just his mother.

Once Sheena was away from any villagers, Zelos bent down, grabbed a pebble, and tossed it at her, careful not to accidentally hit her. Her eyes narrowed as she stopped and looked down at the stone suspiciously. "Psst!" he whispered. "Sheena!"

Her head snapped up and she looked around until she finally spotted him, half-hidden behind a tree, motioning for her to come talk to him. Her eyes widened, but then she looked around the village, making sure no one was watching, and darted into the forest. Once he was sure no one had followed her, he backed further into the forest, out of sight of the village, and motioned for Michi to stay semi-concealed behind a nearby tree.

"Zelos!" Sheena said when she reached him, grasping his arm and leaning toward him, her voice low. "What are you doing here? I thought you had a meeting scheduled with...?"

He cut her off with a nod, not wanting Michi to feel guilty for having interrupted his plans for the day. "I did."

She blinked at him. "It was canceled?"

"Mm...not quite." He grinned wryly. "I...kinda skipped it."

"But I thought you were finally getting close to...?" Without warning, she shook her head, dismissing it. "Y'know what? Right now, it doesn't matter. I'm just glad you're here. We have a _huge_ problem."

Zelos nodded again. "I know."

Sheena stopped short. "You _know_? How could you know?" He smiled sheepishly and motioned at Michi. Following his gaze, she turned...and her jaw dropped. " _Michi_?" Michi gave her a shy smile, and she rushed over to him, giving him a hug that that made his eyes bug out of his head (leaving Zelos biting back a laugh, knowing exactly what part of her had surprised him most). A moment later she pulled back and grasped his shoulders. "Michi, are you okay? Where have you _been_? Everyone's been worried sick about you! I just spent the entire day with your mother, trying to console her and keep her hopes up that we'd find you. She's been scared stiff since you didn't return last night!"

Michi's eyes widened, and Zelos sighed. He really had believed his mother hated him, hadn't he? "I...I'm sorry, Sheena," Michi said, his head sinking downward. "I just...I couldn't...Orochi..."

Her face softened. "Look, I know you've had a lot of trouble working with him lately. I'm not sure why he's been so strict with you, but I know he only means well. His way of handling the situation yesterday was uncalled for, but it's still no excuse for you to scare us all, your mother especially, by running away."

"She...she really was worried?" Michi asked, his eyes widening further.

"What?" Sheena replied, staring at him incredulously. "Of _course_ she was! She was afraid a monster had found you and that's why you never came back!"

"Told ya, kid," Zelos said softly.

Sheena's head snapped upward, as if she'd forgotten he was there. "How did you find him? How did you even know to look for him? Did one of our scouts tell you what was going on?"

Zelos gave her an awkward smile and tilted his head. "In a manner of speaking."

Her eyes narrowed at his evasiveness. "What does _that_ mean?"

He rubbed his neck. "Well, Michi here kinda took an unauthorized field trip...to Meltokio."

Sheena blinked once. "To _Meltokio_?"

"Heh." _She's gonna kill me, she's gonna kill me, she's gonna kill me..._ "He wanted to see the city...and he wanted to find me."

For a moment, she just gaped at him, but then she abruptly looked back at Michi. "Michi, is that true?" Michi's eyes fell to the ground as he nodded, toeing the dirt with his boot. She looked back at Zelos, her face falling. "Oh, no."

He nodded somberly. No surprise there; she, too, was clearly recognizing how disastrous this situation would soon become. "I know."

Sheena rubbed her eyes wearily. Damn, she looked exhausted. She must have been up all night, Zelos figured, probably either looking for Michi or sitting with his mother, trying to reassure her everything would be okay. "This is bad," she whispered, lowering her hand.

"Yeah, tell me about it," Zelos murmured. He'd just been starting to find some good, appealing features in Mizuho, and now...now it would all soon be taken away from him.

With a sigh, Sheena looked up at Zelos again, her brows furrowed, then she stood, grasped his arm, and led him a short distance away from Michi, her voice soft as she leaned toward him. "Zelos, I thought I told you to be careful what you said to him. I didn't mean you should give him ideas like _this_! We can't hide your friendship with him anymore. And Orochi..."

Zelos nodded curtly. "I know, sweetheart. Believe me, I know how badly I messed this up. I've been kicking myself ever since he showed up at my mansion. But for the record, I never _told_ him to run away. He did that on his own."

"Of course he did, because I'm sure hearing you talk about Meltokio made him all the more interested in seeing it for himself," she murmured.

"Well, yeah, but give me _some_ credit, Sheena," he said. "I _was_ extremely careful not to paint Meltokio too prettily, because while it is, it _isn't_ , either."

Her eyes lowered and she nodded sadly. "I don't doubt that."

"And for the record, I _did_ bring him back right away - _after_ feeding him so I couldn't be accused of starving him."

She sighed again, lifting her eyes back to his. "So that's why you skipped your meeting."

Zelos nodded. "This was far more important. That could wait a little longer. This couldn't."

Sheena shook her head. "And here I thought Orochi had been pissed at you before. Ever since last night he's been telling everyone what happened, trying to rile them up against you." She bit her lip, meeting his eyes again. "I don't know that I can protect you this time, Zelos."

"I know." She would do what she could, but as he'd always known, _she_ wasn't the final say here yet. He glanced back at Michi, who was watching them wide-eyed, then gave Sheena a sad smile. "I don't regret trying to help him, though."

She returned his smile, gently taking his hand and giving it a squeeze. "No, I don't suppose you do."

Zelos cleared his throat and Sheena released his hand as Michi suddenly stepped up to them, although fortunately he either hadn't noticed or cared about their 'display of affection' for instead of calling them on it, his head sank downward. "I...I'm really sorry, Zelos. I didn't mean to get you in trouble. I...I never would've gone to Meltokio if I'd realized..."

"Hey, don't worry about it," Zelos quickly said, patting his back. _As if this kid needs to feel even more guilt._ "What's done is done, and what's gonna happen is gonna happen. Orochi has been looking for any reason he can find to get rid of me; this is just his latest excuse."

Michi's eyes widened further. "Are...are they going to ban you because of me?"

Zelos shook his head. "I don't know. I sure _hope_ not, but unfortunately, that's not my decision to make. And if they do, it's not your fault. I don't blame you for wanting to get away after what happened yesterday."

Sheena gave Michi a tight smile. "Neither do I, Michi. Orochi overreacted; you didn't deserve that. What happened was about _Zelos_ , not _you_ , and he had no right to take out his anger on you like that. You weren't even late for your training; you'd told me to tell you when it was two o'clock, and it wasn't two yet when he came looking for you. And whatever happens, I'll be sure to point that out. I can't guarantee it'll make a difference, but I'll do everything I can to make sure neither of you are punished too badly."

"And remember, Michi, no matter what happens, _I don't blame you_ ," Zelos said. "I don't regret becoming your friend. Let's just blame fate for this one too, okay?"

Michi's eyes narrowed. "You don't want to blame Orochi?"

Zelos let out a dry laugh. "Well, of course I do, but I can't fault him for wanting to protect a child under his tutelage from someone who, in his eyes, is 'evil incarnate.'"

Sheena rolled her eyes. "Except you're _not_ 'evil incarnate,' Zelos."

"Yeah, well, 'evil incarnate' in his dictionary apparently has a picture of me beside it, so it's no wonder your word never changed his mind," he replied. "And it _especially_ won't change it now. He'll just write you off as being 'deluded by my charms' again."

Unsurprisingly, she growled lowly. "Yeah, I know. Don't remind me."

Zelos sighed and turned back to Michi, his heart sinking at the fear on the boy's face. Yes, Zelos was worried about getting banned, too, but he was just as worried about what it would do to _Michi_. Nothing good could come of this; in fact, Michi would probably feel even more resentful of his people and would do something even more drastic than running away. No, Zelos needed to try to wring as much good from this as he could - and he knew how. In fact, a selfish part of him thought this might actually help his own case. It was worth a try, because he refused to go down without a fight - and without playing every card he held. He had some information people here wanted, and he _would_ take advantage of it.

"Listen, Michi," he began, bending down so their faces were even, "I know you won't like this, but I think you should tell Sheena what you told me about your father."

Michi's eyes widened. "But...I...!"

Zelos nodded and smiled faintly. "I know, it's hard to talk about. I have a hard time talking about my mother, too. But it's okay. Sheena won't be mad, and I promise she'll believe you. I think your people need to know what happened. Chances are they'll have an easier time understanding why you don't want to fight if they know _why_ you don't, and Sheena will probably have an easier time convincing them to not punish you too badly if she knew, too. And I won't tell them myself; that needs to come from you."

It took him a moment to realize Sheena was gaping at him, and the minute their eyes met, she mouthed, _'He told you?'_ Zelos, however, just nodded, letting Michi explain the rest.

Michi looked down and kicked at the dirt and fallen pine needles. "I..."

Turning back to Michi, Sheena knelt in front of him and gave him a gentle smile. "I won't push you to talk about it, Michi. If you don't want to, you don't have to. But I really do think it's time the truth be known."

"And remember, what happened wasn't your fault," Zelos added. " _It. Wasn't. Your. Fault_."

For a long moment, Michi just watched Zelos, but then he looked uncertainly at Sheena as she squeezed his arm. "Zelos is right, Michi. Whatever happened, I won't be mad, and I won't tell anyone. I promise. But I know it would help your mother to know what happened. It would give her closure. She's been beating herself up all day about how she raised you, wondering where she went wrong, how she could've made you more eager to train, and if pushing you so hard was the right choice. She needs to know why you don't want to learn to fight, and if Zelos is right, that might be the only way she'll understand it."

Michi still hesitated, looking between them, but finally he nodded. "Okay."

With a smirk, Zelos pointed at Michi, unable to resist. Whenever someone he cared about was upset, he had to get their minds off of what was bothering them by distracting them, even if only briefly, to put them more at ease. "And no gawking, okay?"

 _Mission accomplished_ , he congratulated himself as Michi's face reddened, and he patted the boy's back, smiling innocently as Sheena gave him a simultaneously curious and irritated glare before turning back to Michi. Thanks to the distraction, it took Michi a minute to refocus, but he finally began recounting his story. Thankfully, he didn't seem quite as upset as he had earlier - and, even more promising, while his guilt was still obvious, at least he didn't directly blame himself again. Whether or not that was because Zelos was standing there, he wasn't sure, but he didn't, and Zelos took that as a good sign.

When Michi finished, his hands folded behind his back and his face downcast, Sheena gave him an understanding smile. "Zelos is right, Michi. You didn't kill him. Accidents happen, and that's what this was. I'm sure our assurances won't make it easier to accept - Zelos and I both know how that feels - but I promise you, no one in Mizuho would ever hold you responsible for what happened."

Michi's eyes snapped upward. "You...you believe me, too, Sheena?"

Sheena glanced at Zelos curiously, but he just gave her a pointed look to confirm that yes, Michi really hadn't expected that. "Of course I believe you," she said. "Why wouldn't I? I wish you'd told us what really happened right away, but I understand why you didn't."

Zelos folded his arms to his chest. "Sometimes keeping a tragedy to yourself instead of having to relive it is easier than taking a chance and seeing how others react to it."

"What he said," Sheena said, giving Zelos a faint smile.

Michi looked between them again uncertainly. "So...you think I should tell my mom?"

Sheena's eyebrows rose. "I _know_ you should."

"And you...you think she'll believe me?" Michi whispered, hope flickering in his eyes.

"I think she will. She just wants to know what happened to your father." Sheena smiled. "If you think it might help, I can be there with you when you tell her."

He considered that a moment, then nodded. "Okay."

"Okay," Sheena replied. "And thank you for telling me, Michi. I know that wasn't easy. Zelos and I both have trouble talking about the bad things that happened to us, too. But in time, while the pain and guilt never completely go away, they do become more bearable."

Zelos nodded. "What happened becomes a part of our past, something we can learn from and use to become stronger."

Sheena gave him a soft smile. "Exactly."

Without warning, Orochi's voice sounded from the village, calling out Sheena's name, and Zelos frowned, realizing he'd never had a chance to discuss his 'idea' with her. But if Orochi was looking for her, then he'd eventually find them here, and he'd be even more upset if it looked like she was hiding them. Ah, well, that would just have to wait, then. Right now it was time to face the music - or maybe the guillotine. It all depended on how generous the villagers were feeling after learning where their prodigal son had run off to.

Sheena sighed and looked back at Michi, clearly recognizing the same. "C'mon, let's get you back to your mother. She needs to know you're okay."

Michi's eyes widened, his face falling further. "Even if it means facing Orochi?"

"Even if it means facing Orochi." She turned to Zelos expectantly. "What about you? We _could_ say Michi was hiding in the forest overnight and just came back. They don't _need_ to know he went to Meltokio to see you."

Zelos shook his head. Her suggestion was extremely tempting, giving him an opportunity to run away instead of deal with this, maybe even keeping a fraction of his standing in Mizuho intact. A year ago, he would have jumped at it without a second thought. But he'd promised to try to make life a little easier here for Michi, and Michi was counting on him, _trusting_ him, to do that. Besides, how could he expect the villagers to take him seriously if he didn't take something like this seriously and face the consequences of his actions? If he really wanted to make a place for himself here, then he had to prove he'd take responsibility for those actions and fix any problems that arose. Running away wouldn't solve anything.

"While I appreciate the offer, love, I'm not leaving," he said. "If it weren't for me, we wouldn't be in this mess right now, and I made a choice last year to stop running from my responsibilities. No matter what the end result might be, I'm seeing this through. I can't have you and Michi taking all the heat for me. Whatever will be, will be."

Sheena's face melted as she gave him a sad but appreciative smile, then, disregarding their audience, she grasped his hand and gave it a squeeze. "Thanks."

Zelos grinned. "I mean, good intentions have to count for _something_ , right?"

"I sure hope so." Her smile fell as Orochi called her name again, his voice getting louder. Taking a deep breath, she released Zelos's hand and called out, "I'm here, Orochi."

The three headed toward the village. The second they stepped out of the forest, Orochi's eyes widened and he rushed toward them. "Michi! Sadako, he's here!"

A moment later, the woman Zelos had seen with Sheena earlier appeared in the street. Upon seeing Michi, utter relief appeared her face, and with an, " _Oh, thank you, Jizou!_ " she ran toward him and threw her arms around him, tears shining in her eyes as she pulled back and looked him over. "Michi, are you all right? Are you hurt?"

Zelos folded his arms to his chest, choosing to hang back a bit and watch, not wanting to interrupt. Michi quickly nodded. "I'm okay, Mom."

Sadako hugged him tightly, tears rolling down her cheeks, leaving Zelos glad, again, that he'd pushed to bring Michi back so quickly. Seeing any woman crying ( _sincerely_ crying, not _'hunny crying'_ solely to get his comfort) had always been hard for him to watch. At least the woman crying wasn't Sheena, because seeing her that upset was...well, he'd had a hard enough time seeing her hurting on V-day. Any worse than that and it probably would kill him.

After a moment, Sadako pulled away again and gave Michi a pointed, almost desperate, look. "Don't you ever do that again. Do you hear me, Michi? _Ever_."

Michi's gaze fell to the ground. "I'm sorry, Mom. I shouldn't have run away."

Orochi's face hardened. "Your mother has been worried sick about you, Michi. Where have you been? What have we told you about running off on your own? You could have been killed! How could you do that to her?" Sadako looked at Michi expectantly, but while his eyes briefly darted at Zelos, he didn't say anything, and Orochi's scowl deepened. _Oh, yeah, the man is mad_ , Zelos noted with a sigh. _Was Orochi ever_ _ **not**_ _mad anymore? Seriously, what is his problem lately? Is he more like his brother than anyone thought? He was_ _ **never**_ _like this last year!_ " _Answer_ us, Michi!" Orochi demanded. "Where did you go?" Michi opened his mouth to reply, but no words came out, and he quickly closed it again, looking down at the ground. "You realize this is unacceptable, do you not? We must speak with the chief about this immediately. He will assign appropriate punishment."

Sheena lifted a hand for him to calm down. "Orochi, relax. He's back safe and sound, and right now that's all that matters."

Orochi's glare softened a little as he turned to her, but he still shook his head. "No, Sheena, it is _not_ all that matters. We must ensure he never again does anything this foolish. And until he tells us what happened and where he went-"

Okay, _fine_. Michi would never talk with Orochi glaring at him - the poor kid looked scared out of his mind - and so Zelos would answer instead. "He came to Meltokio."

Instantly, Orochi's eyes snapped up to him and flared with barely restrained fury. " _You_. I should have known _you_ were behind this. You kidnapped him and took him there, didn't you? How _dare_ you interfere with...!"

"Orochi, _stop it_!" Sheena interrupted, pressing her hand to Orochi's chest as he took a menacing step toward Zelos, and Zelos bit his tongue. Sure, he could fight his own battles - but not in Mizuho. No, as much as he hated letting Sheena fight for him, she was the only one who could right now since Orochi obviously held no respect for him and, therefore, wouldn't listen to a word he said. From the corner of his eye, Zelos could see someone standing near the chief's house, watching - and a covert glance showed it was Chief Igaguri. Since he made no move to approach them, though, Zelos chose not to give him away yet. "No, Zelos didn't kidnap him. Michi went there on his own."

Orochi looked at her, his face twitching, torn between anger and something softer...and again, Zelos was reminded of his impression that Orochi had a 'thing' for Sheena, one that kept butting heads with his obvious hatred of Zelos. "And why would he do that?"

"He wanted to see Meltokio," Zelos said.

That time Orochi's head snapped toward Michi, the softness transforming again into anger. "Michi, is that true?" Michi nodded, his face still downcast. "Why would you do that? There is nothing there that someone your age need bother with!"

"I wanted to see it, Orochi!" Michi said, finally looking up at him, his face determined and pleading. "It sounded interesting, and I wanted to know what it was like! I knew you and Mom would never let me go if I asked your permission, so I went there myself! And...and I went there because Zelos is a lot nicer to me than _you_ are!"

The fire in Orochi's eyes flared even further as they turned back to Zelos. "So you didn't just give him that book of frivolous knowledge that has kept him from his real studies, did you? No, you have been _talking_ to him, telling him stories about your 'playground' that are meant to lure him away from us! What did I tell you about speaking with our people? You are attempting to sabotage our future by corrupting our youth, aren't you?"

Egads, didn't the angry act _ever_ get old? What, was he jealous that Michi liked Zelos better? Well, maybe that _was_ it, if Orochi thought he'd not only stolen the girl Orochi liked, but his protégé, too. Maybe that was what he'd been afraid of all this time, not that Zelos would 'corrupt' anyone here (although he might honestly believe that, too), but that Zelos would steal everything from him. Heck, if that was the case, then he might not even realize it himself and was coming up with his own justifications for his hatred without recognizing what they really were: symptoms of jealousy and fear. Orochi certainly wouldn't be the first mild-mannered man who'd developed an intense hatred for the Chosen because he felt threatened by him; noblemen had done the same for years when their girlfriends developed crushes on him, regardless of whether or not he returned their affections.

While Zelos could understand that and knew how it felt thanks to Sheena's old crush on Lloyd, it was just so _tiring_ and _frustrating_ constantly being on the receiving end of it. As it was, it took all his restraint not to roll his eyes. "No, I wasn't trying to _corrupt_ anyone. Mizuho's future is your business, Orochi, not mine. All I was trying to do was help a kid who was hurting and struggling to make sense of his life."

Sadako looked sharply at Michi, her lips parted, then grabbed his shoulder. "I thought I told you to stay away from him! I knew something like this would happen if you tried to talk to him! He gave you _ideas_ , didn't he?"

Michi vehemently shook his head and wrested himself from his mother's grasp. "Zelos isn't a bad man, Mom! He's _not_! You don't even know him, so don't judge him like that! He didn't do anything wrong! _I'm_ the one who ran away! Don't blame him for that!"

Zelos sighed. Damn, he hated the 'blame game,' because usually it was a combination of factors, not just one. Ultimately, though, this came back to his poorly planned 'experiment' in trying to find something, _someone_ , in Mizuho besides Sheena that he cared about. "Actually, Sadako, that's not entirely true," he said. "I _am_ to blame for what happened - and I'm extremely sorry for causing you so much distress. Michi didn't seek me out to talk to me. _I_ sought _him_ out because I'd noticed he'd expressed interest in me."

Sheena's eyes narrowed as she looked at him. "Zelos, what are you doing?"

He shook his head. "They're right, Sheena. This _is_ my fault. If I hadn't reached out to him, he wouldn't have run away. I thought he could use a friend, someone he felt comfortable talking to. And for the record, I still think I was right about that. Let's just say I have a driving need to make people who are clearly unhappy smile."

For a moment, Orochi and Sadako just stared at him, but before they could respond, Sheena scowled, folded her arms to her chest, and gave them both pointed looks. "Well, that's not entirely true, either. Zelos told me he wanted to try talking to Michi before he ever approached him, and I gave him permission to do so."

Sadako gaped at her. " _You_ , Sheena? How could you? I thought you cared about my family! How could you not realize how dangerous that would be? I realize the Chosen is charming and persuasive, but that doesn't stop him from being a danger here. A rattlesnake is charming, too, but one wrong move and it will strike you dead!"

Orochi, on the other hand, looked just as disappointed in Sheena as he did angry. "Of _course_ you did; you have been so smitten by your _boyfriend_ that you cannot see the truth about him even when it is staring you in the face!" In an instant, though, the anger and disappointment vanished, replaced by that softness Orochi only ever got in his eyes when looking at Sheena, mixed a hint of condescending pleading that, had it been aimed at him, would've made Zelos want to punch Orochi in the face. "Sheena, please, for once in your life, see the truth about this man and listen when I tell you he cannot be trusted! This entire incident is proof of it; it displays better than any words could why he does not belong here! He may claim he wanted to 'help' this child, but you _must_ have seen now that his real goal was not to help Michi, but to lure our youth away from us!"

Sheena's eyebrows flew upward and she folded her arms to her chest. " _Really_ , Orochi? Is that what you still think? I dunno, but it sure seems to me like Zelos did a far better job with Michi than you did, seeing as he got Michi to open up to him in ways _you_ never did - probably because you're too busy _yelling_ at him to listen to what he has to say."

Sadako's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean, Sheena?"

"I mean, how many people here have tried to get Michi to tell them what really happened to Tatsuya? Zelos has only known him a little over a month, and yet in that time he's managed to succeed where everyone else here failed for _two whole years_. Personally, I was impressed." Sadako's jaw dropped and she stared at Sheena, even while Orochi looked...well, he looked like Sheena had just slapped him. In the distance, Zelos could see Chief Igaguri start heading their way, a scrutinizing, calculating expression on his face, but again Zelos didn't point that out, curious as he was to see what Igaguri did once he got here. "And I was even more impressed by how quickly he brought Michi back here so you wouldn't worry, Sadako."

Regaining his senses, Orochi shook his head. "Regardless of the results, the Chosen was still meddling in Mizuho's affairs. Such behavior can no longer be tolerated. This must be reported to the chief immediately-"

"What must?" Igaguri said as he stopped behind Orochi, leaving everyone except Zelos jumping at his sudden appearance.

"Grandpa!" Sheena said, spinning around toward him at the same moment Orochi said, "Chief Igaguri!" and did the same.

Zelos, however, just narrowed his eyes. Igaguri knew damn well what they'd been saying, and yet he was playing dumb, probably to see how they'd adjust their arguments with him there. His subtle tactics were impressive. Igaguri really was a crafty old man, wasn't he?

Igaguri, however, ignored them and instead rested his hands on Michi's shoulders. "Michi, everyone is relieved you have safely returned. Please, do not run off like that again."

Michi's eyes fell downward. "O...okay, Chief Igaguri. I'm really sorry I worried everyone."

Igaguri smiled and patted Michi's arm, but then he stood up straight, his smile vanishing as his dark eyes turned to Orochi. "A child's curiosity is not a crime requiring punishment, Orochi." His eyes snapped back to Michi. "However, disobeying your elders is, especially when they are trying to protect you. The day will come when you will be tested as a ninja by being sent into the wilderness to fend for yourself and prove your resourcefulness, but that is not supposed to happen before you have been properly trained to survive under such conditions. Because you have not, Michi, your mother has been deeply worried about you, and one of Mizuho's laws states that children must not worry their parents. Orochi is correct; your disobedience _will_ require punishment. But we can determine the specifics later. Right now it appears we have another matter to discuss first."

Orochi nodded curtly. "Yes, we do. Chief Igaguri, this man," he motioned derisively at Zelos, "cannot be tolerated here any longer. All he does is cause problems, corrupting our youth and threatening our way of life."

Igaguri arched an eyebrow. "Oh? Is that so? Then perhaps we should discuss this in private inside my home. Now that Michi has returned, we need not address such a...volatile...matter in public." He motioned at his home. "Please, come. All of you."

Zelos cast a nervous glance at Sheena who, while not panicking about this, still looked concerned. It was hard _not_ to be now that the chief was involved. But regardless of his nervousness, Zelos still took a deep breath, reminding himself he _would not_ run from this, and followed the others into Igaguri's home, removing his shoes in the _genkan_. Tiga, on Igaguri's invitation, joined them, most likely because he'd been acting chief when Michi's father had died. At least Tiga, too, had always tolerated Zelos's presence here, having allowed him entry during their journey despite his connection with the king. Whether that would counter the upcoming invective from Orochi, though...well, only time would tell.

Once everyone had settled onto the mats in the main room, Sheena choosing a spot beside Zelos, Igaguri bowed his head, opening the meeting, and then looked at each of them. "Now, I would like to hear what has transpired. We are not yet all aware of the facts leading up to the present situation."

Unsurprisingly, Igaguri had barely finished speaking when Orochi spoke up. "The Chosen should be banned from Mizuho, Chief Igaguri. He has interfered with our ways and our people in a highly negative way. This is unacceptable."

Sheena growled, even as Igaguri released a sigh so faint that Zelos only caught it because of his enhanced senses. "Yes, Orochi, you have made your opinion on the Chosen's presence here exceedingly clear," Igaguri said, a hint of weariness tingeing his voice. "However, that does not answer my question. What has happened _in particular_ that makes you believe banishment is the only appropriate punishment?"

"He has-"

Igaguri lifted his hand and shook his head. "I have already heard your version of these events, Orochi. Now I wish to hear the Chosen's explanation."

Zelos's eyes widened, as did Sheena's and Orochi's. For a moment, Sheena just looked at Zelos uncertainly, but then she nodded, telling him to go ahead. So, explanation time, eh? He breathed in deeply. He could do this, and he would - for any chance they still had for a future together. "Okay. Ever since the regeneration journey ended, I've seen Michi around here. He never actually _said_ anything to me; he just watched me for a minute and then ran off. Kids have always found the Chosen fascinating, so I didn't think anything of it at the time. About a month ago, though, I noticed him again in the cemetery, and something about the look on his face at that moment caught my eye. I finally asked Sheena about him, and she ran down the basics of what happened to his father. Since Orochi had made it clear I wasn't permitted to speak with anyone here except Sheena, I checked with her first to see if she'd mind if I tried talking to Michi myself, and she told me to go ahead."

"One moment, Chosen," Igaguri interrupted, lifting a finger for him to wait. "Orochi, is that true? Did you forbid him from speaking with anyone in Mizuho?"

Orochi bowed his head. "Yes, I did. I believed it to be prudent, knowing what I did about him. And this entire incident with Michi has proven me to be correct."

Igaguri sighed, looking, surprisingly, like he was trying not to roll his eyes. "I assure you, Orochi, that was unnecessary." Orochi's eyes widened, but before he could respond, Igaguri looked back at Zelos. "I apologize for that, Chosen. If I had known that, I would have made it clear you should disregard such a ridiculous directive." He bowed his head to Zelos, then motioned at him. "Please, continue. Why were you drawn to speak with Michi?"

It took Zelos a moment to realize his eyes were as wide as Orochi's - had Igaguri _really_ just dismissed Orochi's prohibition as 'ridiculous'? - but he quickly cleared his throat. _Just answer the question and leave the 'looking dumbfounded' part to Orochi_ , he told himself. "I thought I might have an easier time relating with him and getting him to open up to me due to certain...incidents...I'd experienced as a child. I also thought he might have an easier time talking to an outsider, someone who hadn't been here when his father died and hadn't heard all the gossip about him." He shrugged. "Basically, I thought he could use a friend."

"So you approached him in hopes of helping him," Igaguri clarified.

"Yeah. And I'd like to think it _did_ help. We talked a few times, and I quickly realized he was a good kid who just didn't fit the standard 'ninja mold' you guys have here. He's immensely curious and has a lot of interests, ones that weren't necessarily 'valued' here, and he hated fighting, which didn't go over well here, either. And that, too, I could relate to - having to live up to the expectations of the people around you and be someone you weren't. Anyway, a few hours ago he showed up in Meltokio, told me Orochi had yelled at him for looking through a book I'd given him on forest creatures, and, feeling especially frustrated and unwanted, had run away, wanting to find me and see Meltokio for himself. Needless to say, as soon as we finished eating lunch, I brought him back here."

"Mm." Igaguri turned to Michi. "Does the Chosen speak truly, Michi?"

Michi bowed his head. "Yes, Chief Igaguri."

Zelos gave Michi a faint smile as he met the boy's eyes. "Like I said, I just wanted to help."

Orochi huffed. "We did not ask for your _help_ dealing with one of our own, Chosen."

And there, again, was the now-typical hatred Orochi always exhibited toward him - and Zelos could feel his own anger flaring in response. He knew rising to the bait wasn't a good idea, but he just couldn't help himself. "Yeah, well, this boy seemed to be having a hard time fitting in here and finding anyone he felt comfortable talking to," he snapped back. "And why? Because the people who _claimed_ to be helping him only scolded him for his curiosity and interests and made him feel 'worthless' for not wanting to fight and become a ninja. I couldn't just sit back without trying to do _something_. It was obvious he truly believed everyone here, including his own mother, hated him, and there was _no way_ I was gonna let him keep thinking _that_. Been there, done that. It's a horrible feeling, believing the people you care about want nothing to do with you. I refuse to let any child believe that, especially when I knew it wasn't true. No one who goes out of their way to protect their son like Sadako has could _hate_ him. Why do you think I dropped everything to bring him back here? Because I knew she loved him and would be terrified about where he'd disappeared to!"

Orochi's scowl deepened. "Regardless of your _intentions_ , Chosen, this is _our_ business, not _yours_. You do not know - and, worse, disregard - our ways; by telling him about Meltokio and other things irrelevant to a boy his age, you are encouraging him to leave and not take seriously those things that are valued here! You should have stayed out of this. By doing this to Michi, you interfered with his training and implanted foreign, unwelcome ideas in his mind - and you terrified his mother, who is already devastated by what happened to her husband. Your words and actions were thoughtless, without any regard for those things we need to accomplish. This is what the 'help' of an outsider brings us, especially one as irresponsible as you! All such so-called 'help' does is cause us chaos!"

Zelos frowned. While he knew some of those accusations were valid - his actions really _had_ been thoughtless, and he hadn't realized what 'ideas' he'd been giving Michi until too late - didn't good intentions count for _anything_? He'd learned long ago to shrug off most names and insults thrown his way, but this...this bothered him because he really _had_ been trying to help, and he would maintain to his dying day that he _had_ helped, too! And really, who was _Orochi_ to judge him? His method had _driven_ Michi away! Didn't he know how to make exceptions for people who didn't fit the standard mold? Why did he insist on using a rigid method of training even when it didn't work? Sure, it might work for _most_ ninja children, but that didn't mean it would work for _every_ child. After so many failures, shouldn't he have reassessed what wasn't working and tried something new?

And really, hadn't Orochi already reassessed his approach once? Zelos was _sure_ Sheena had mentioned that Orochi used to be kind toward Michi, but then that had changed when he found it wasn't working, either. So why hadn't he altered it again? Was he really that narrow-minded that he'd run out of ideas? Or was he just getting that frustrated with life in general, what with Sheena not swooning over his manliness, that he was becoming grumpy and quickly losing patience with _everything_ that didn't go his way?

Zelos didn't know, but he was frustrated on Michi's behalf. Exceptions to the rules, like Michi obviously was, would always exist simply because all people were unique individuals. And seriously, how boring would this world be if everyone was identical? He'd meant what he'd said before fighting Yggdrasill: just because he didn't like someone didn't mean they didn't have the same right to exist that he did. And yet that was sometimes how he felt lately: that Orochi's life would be better if Zelos didn't exist, and that the fact that he _wasn't going away_ was not only a blight to the world, but a threat to Orochi's very existence.

 _Get in line, buddy_ , Zelos wanted to tell him. _You're not the first person to hate the Chosen, and you won't be the last_. But oh, how he wished their relationship _wasn't_ antagonistic. This was a place Zelos _wanted_ to be accepted, and having Orochi, who he didn't doubt was a good man at heart since he and Sheena had been good friends before Zelos _happened_ , detest him was discouraging. Unfortunately, this incident with Michi wouldn't change Orochi's sentiments. In fact, it wouldn't be a problem much longer if Orochi got his way and talked Igaguri into banning him. At least Igaguri's persisting calmness gave Zelos hope that maybe, just maybe, he could still survive this mess.

Igaguri's response furthered that hope. "By that same logic, Orochi, you should also be banned for attempting to help this child, only to have that attempt backfire in an unexpected way. You are, after all, as responsible for pushing Michi away by yelling at him for looking at a perfectly legitimate book as the Chosen was for giving him another place to run to. Is this really what you want? To be banned for causing this troubled child to run away?"

Orochi's face fell. "O...of course not, Chief Igaguri. But the Chosen..."

"The Chosen has done nothing wrong in trying to help this child, even if his methods did not match your own," Igaguri cut him off. "And since he has not, he _will not_ be banned because of it." Zelos closed his eyes, his head sinking downward. _Oh, thank Martel_. "In fact, I commend him for taking the initiative to do so when he had apparently been forbidden to." Zelos's eyes flew open. _Wow, really? Igaguri just commended me?_ "And perhaps the greatest test of the Chosen's intent can be found in Michi's experience with him." Igaguri looked sharply at Michi. "Michi, tell us the truth. Did the Chosen ever hurt you?"

Michi's eyes widened, but he quickly shook his head. "No. He actually healed my hand one time when I hurt it."

"Mm," Igaguri murmured. "Did he ever encourage you to run away from home?"

"No!" Michi said, his eyes widening further. "I did that myself after Orochi yelled at me."

"Did he ever encourage you to skip any of your training sessions or to refuse to learn how to fight?"

"No, never! In fact, he told me there were good reasons why I _should_ know how to fight."

Igaguri nodded thoughtfully. "Was he a good friend to you?"

"Of course he was!" Michi exclaimed as if he couldn't believe Igaguri was asking him that. "He listened to me. He was always nice to me and answered my questions and told me about the world and didn't yell at me. He didn't talk to me like I was a dumb kid. He didn't make me do anything I didn't want to do or make me feel stupid for liking what I did. He even gave me a book of my own. I had to keep it at Sheena's home because if Mom had found it, she would've yelled at me for having it, but I was still really excited to have it!"

"Mm," Igaguri murmured again. "So you like him and trust him?"

"Of course! It always felt good to talk to him. It felt like he actually cared about me."

 _Oh, Michi._ Zelos offered him a smile. "That's because I do, kid."

Michi returned his smile and looked down shyly. "Thanks, Zelos."

A faint smile crossed Igaguri's lips. "Then I cannot fault him for trying to help this child. In my estimation, it worked, especially if the implication I heard earlier is true that the Chosen even managed to uncover the truth about what happened to Michi's father. Orochi, what you have apparently forgotten, and which I hope you will take away from this, is that when you yell at someone for doing something, especially when what they are doing is not wrong, then you lose the trust they had in you and they will usually continue to do it anyway to spite you. Yelling, while necessary at times, is generally not the most effective way to get a point across, especially when, despite _your_ good intentions to fill in as Michi's father figure, you failed to realize you are not his father. Perhaps more than a father figure, he simply needed a friend - which it appears the Chosen provided for him."

"I apologize for interrupting, Chief Igaguri, but I must know," Sadako suddenly said, turning to her son. "Michi, is it true? Did you tell the Chosen what happened to your father?"

"Yeah, he did," Zelos said as Michi's head fell downward, indicating he wasn't comfortable answering that.

Sadako's eyes snapped back to him, but that time there was no malice in them, just hope. After a moment, she looked back at Michi, took his hand, and squeezed it. "Please, Michi. Please, tell me what happened."

Tiga bowed his head. "Yes, Michi, please tell us all. We have had many questions since it happened, and it would put our minds at ease if you told us the truth."

Still Michi hesitated, though, looking at everyone wide-eyed, clearly alarmed by the thought of recounting a story he wasn't comfortable talking about for so many people. Zelos didn't doubt Michi would have told his mother the story in private, but in front of _everyone_? And especially in front of a still-fuming Orochi? Zelos couldn't blame him for hesitating.

When Michi still didn't respond, Sheena smiled gently. "Michi, it's okay. You told me, and I don't blame you for it. Neither will they. They won't punish you for what happened, because there's nothing to punish."

"Go ahead, Michi," Zelos said. "Sheena and I will make sure they understand."

Michi looked between Zelos and Sheena, considering that, but finally he nodded, his eyes falling downward. "Okay."

He was silent a moment, most likely trying to figure out how to start, but finally Sadako squeezed his hand again, her voice gentle. "You and your father had had another fight, and you ran into the woods. What happened after that?"

Michi glanced up at her, then looked down again. "He chased me into the forest. I crossed the river, but he didn't. When he saw I was on the other side, he tried to go down the ravine to get over to my side, but he...he tripped and slid down and hit his head on a rock."

"We found them in that spot a little to the north, where a number of fallen boulders lie along the river's edge," Tiga explained to Igaguri.

Igaguri bowed his head but didn't reply, just motioned for Michi to continue, which he did. "I...I thought he was trying to trick me, so I didn't go to him right away, but then I realized he wasn't moving, and I..." Michi swallowed. "I tried to help him when I got there, but he was bleeding so badly, and I...I couldn't do anything. And then he...then he closed his eyes and stopped breathing...and then Tiga and Kuchinawa found us."

"Tatsuya was already dead by the time we found them there," Tiga said.

Sadako's eyes were hopeful as they turned back to Michi. "So you weren't with him when it happened? You didn't push him, Michi? Or throw a rock at him?"

Michi's eyes widened, tears brimming in them. "No, Mom! I just wanted him to leave me alone so I could go into the forest! I would never hurt him...I would never hurt _anyone_!"

Thankfully, Orochi's face finally softened a little. "Michi, why didn't you tell us?"

"Because no one would've believed me!" Michi replied. "Everyone thought I killed him! I heard them all saying that! Mom was so mad at me, and she was so sad about Dad, and I...I didn't think she'd believe me. And I...I..." His head sank downward. "I thought it was my fault, too. I thought I'd caused it and didn't do enough to help him."

To Zelos's relief, Sadako wrapped her arms around Michi, squeezing her eyes shut. "Oh, Michi. I thought you wouldn't talk about it because you were hiding something you'd done. Of course I believe you. You shouldn't have fought with your father, and you shouldn't have run off, but you didn't cause his death. I'm so relieved to know that for certain now. I never should have doubted you, and I'm sorry I did."

Michi threw his arms around her, returning her hug, his eyes wet. "I'm sorry, too, Mom. I wish I could've helped him. I shouldn't have gotten mad and run off like that."

Sadako kissed his forehead. "It's all right. We know the truth now."

Oh, good. She believed him. Maybe now he could start to forgive himself and be a more respectful son if he didn't think she hated him. "Fear and guilt kept him from telling you the truth," Zelos said, smiling sadly. "It wasn't because he'd done anything wrong, Sadako."

Sheena nodded. "Don't underestimate the power of guilt to silence someone's tongue, whether they're truly guilty or not. Some things...well, some things we just don't want to talk about when we feel that guilty about what happened."

"Yes," Igaguri added softly. "Only those who have experienced such guilt can truly understand how that feels and empathize with others in a similar situation." His dark eyes snapped to Zelos. "That guilt is what you initially recognized in him, Chosen, is it not?"

Zelos's eyes widened. Wow, Igaguri really _was_ sharp. Even without knowing the details of Zelos's life (unless, of course, he _did_ know, which was...well, a creepy thought Zelos quickly pushed aside), he'd still clearly recognized that. Or maybe such tragic, guilt-inducing events made someone who'd experienced something similar perceptive of the same in others. Sheena had mentioned after the V-Day dinner that she'd realized how guilty her grandfather felt over the Volt accident, and so it made sense he'd see the same in Zelos, too.

"I think so," Zelos replied. "I've been where Michi is, and I know how long it takes to get past it. And I, for one, believe him. This kid couldn't hurt a fly. In fact, that seems to be his main reason for not wanting to become a ninja: because he doesn't want to hurt anyone and cause them the same pain he felt at losing his father. His interests are strictly intellectual, not physical. If he could, I think he'd much rather be a healer. I doubt he possesses the natural abilities to do so, but if given the choice, that's what he'd choose."

"His father wanted him to be a ninja, though," Orochi said, his voice surprisingly calm. "That is why I have pushed him so hard: to honor his father's memory, teach him everything his father would have, and shape him into something his father would be proud of."

"His father was an excellent ninja, one of the best fighters I have ever seen," Tiga added. "He always made it clear he wanted his son to follow in his footsteps and carry on his legacy."

"However, is it not possible that his father did not have all the facts when he stated that desire?" Igaguri said. "There are times we push people in a direction they are uninterested in going, are incapable of going, or are not yet ready to go to feed our own selfish needs. And if I have learned one thing during my life, it is that doing so often leads to dissatisfaction, disappointment, and distress, not just on the part of the person pushing, but on the part of the person being pushed. Sometimes it can even cause disaster. Perhaps that is the case here."

 _...Igaguri is talking about himself and how he'd pushed Sheena to form the pact with Volt,_ Zelos realized. Sheena had been right: her grandfather truly did feel as responsible for that tragedy as she did. And really, the pain Zelos saw on Igaguri's face now _did_ match the pain he'd seen that day in the cemetery and at the memorial dinner. It had been sorrow and pain over how many people had died, yes, but it had been guilt, too, over causing the deaths of so many people who'd put their faith in him. Maybe that was why he wasn't planning on remaining chief much longer and why he'd so quickly named Sheena as his successor after he'd awoken: because he didn't feel worthy of staying in the role after the part he'd played in hurting Mizuho.

Orochi frowned. "So what are you saying, Chief Igaguri? That we should deny his father's wishes?"

"I am not certain yet." Igaguri looked abruptly at Zelos. "How would you answer that question, Chosen?"

...Wait, what? Igaguri was asking _him_? "Me?" Zelos said, lifting a hand to his chest. "Shouldn't you be asking _Michi_ that, not _me_?"

Igaguri nodded curtly. "Yes, and I will. However, right now I am convinced you know this child better than any other adult here since you have seen him for who he _is_ , not who you _want_ him to be. That is why I would like to hear your thoughts on this first."

Oh. Okay, this could be a good thing. Sure, he couldn't predict how Igaguri would react to this, but he _was_ impressed by what he'd seen of the man so far. In fact, he was starting to see why Sheena respected him so much. He was skilled at remaining impartial, looking at the facts, asking the necessary questions, and being decisive and authoritative, all excellent qualities for a chief. And, even better, he had proven to be surprisingly receptive to - and encouraging of - outside ideas. Yeah, okay, so despite the fact that Orochi was glaring at him again and that he hadn't been able to discuss this with Sheena first, Zelos would give his idea a shot. The way Igaguri had handled this situation so far made him think he wouldn't dismiss it without at least hearing his reasoning behind it.

He took a deep breath, then slowly released it. _Here goes nothing_. "Well, honestly, I don't think Michi wants to be a ninja, at least not yet. I think he has a lot of ninja qualities already - I mean, it _was_ ninja-esque how he managed to find me so effortlessly in Meltokio when he'd never even been outside Mizuho before - but it's not where his heart is."

"Mm," Igaguri murmured. "And where _is_ his heart?"

Zelos's gaze darted at Michi, who was watching him hopefully, Sadako's arm still wrapped around him. "He's fascinated by nature. I know Sheena mentioned that you guys study nature in your ninja training, but this goes beyond just the general scope you guys cover: he wants to study and investigate and experiment with things in far more depth than I suspect you guys take the time to focus on. One time I found him by the river, testing the types of foods squirrels preferred and the materials birds used to make nests. Another time he'd set up an impressive trap to catch a frog so he could take a closer look at its tongue. And it's not just nature; he's curious about _everything_. People, places...everything but fighting, actually."

"I will not deny that Michi has always excelled in the nature-based portions of our training," Orochi stated. "However, to focus on such trivial details as he is doing is a useless activity for a child his age, one that wastes precious time that he should be applying to the other portions of his training. If he wishes to pursue those other subjects after the rest of his training is complete, that is his choice to make, but at this point those pursuits distract him from focusing on those aspects he is still lacking: the physical skills all ninjas require to succeed and survive on their own."

"Perhaps you are correct about that, Orochi," Igaguri said. "Or perhaps the 'trivial details' he seeks _could_ one day prove useful for Mizuho."

Orochi's eyes narrowed. "How could such trivial experimentation, especially when done while skipping the physical aspects of training, prove useful for one his age?"

Igaguri arched an eyebrow. "You know as well as I that ninjas must understand nature so they can manipulate their surroundings to their advantage, Orochi, and you admitted that Michi has always excelled in those areas, which means he clearly has not skipped those lessons. The details, likewise, could prove invaluable, even though we do not regularly focus on those during our training; after all, who is to say he will not one day need such details to attract or repel an animal to cause a diversion? No, on the surface such detailed learning does not seem immediately helpful when compared to the other areas he has balked at studying, but there is nothing _wrong_ with it. He is expressing his respect and understanding for the world in his own way, just in more depth than he would normally receive. I fail to see his curiosity and initiative in studying these subjects on his own as a problem."

Orochi shook his head. "With respect, Chief Igaguri, I disagree. At his age it is crucial he also focus on the physical aspects of being a ninja, not just those aspects that involve the manipulation of nature to our advantage. He must learn to fight; this is of the utmost importance, for the very nature of our missions dictates we must perform them alone. That means he must know how to defend himself and attack his enemies. If he does not, he will die. I promised his mother I would not let that happen. And unless he begins seriously studying this area now, he will never become the ninja his father wanted him to be."

"That is your right to believe, Orochi," Igaguri replied. "However, if he sincerely does not wish to learn to fight at this point in time, I disagree with your insistence that he be forced to do so anyway, to the detriment of those areas, which are also legitimate, that he would currently rather study. In time, perhaps he will come to see the value of it himself - just as his father perhaps would have eventually come to see the value of his more intellectual interests." He looked back at Michi. "Michi, is the Chosen correct that your disinterest in fighting stems from your father's fate?"

Michi looked down at his hands and nodded. "I don't want to hurt people. I don't want to kill anyone, either. I'd rather learn how to help others than learn how to harm them."

"And yet Orochi is correct that there are often times when fighting is necessary for us," Igaguri prodded.

"I know," Michi admitted. "Zelos made me see that sometimes you need to fight to defend yourself and protect your family. I'd be willing to do that." He looked up again, his brown eyes pleading. "But I don't want to go on missions where I have to hurt someone!"

"Mm, I see." Igaguri watched Michi carefully a moment, but then he looked sharply at Zelos, his eyes narrowing. "Chosen? You look as if you wish to say something."

And again, Zelos was impressed by Igaguri's perceptiveness, because he certainly hadn't been waving his hand to indicate he wanted to talk. But then, the knowing look in Igaguri's eyes actually made him wonder if Igaguri already _knew_ what Zelos was planning to suggest. He wasn't sure how Igaguri could, but he couldn't shake his impression - and he wasn't sure if it was a relief to know Igaguri was letting him voice it without outright dismissing it or if it was disturbing that he recognized that in the first place.

But whatever the case, Igaguri was letting him speak, so he would. "Yeah, actually, I do. I'm probably speaking out of bounds here, but personally, I think Michi belongs in Sybak at the Research Academy. Between the intellectual environment itself and the emphasis they place on research into ways to help people, I think it would be a good fit for him."

Unsurprisingly, Michi's eyes immediately lit up at the thought, but Zelos just gave him a tight smile. That was why he hadn't mentioned this earlier - because he knew how excited and hopeful the kid would be. Now Zelos had to make sure that excitement and hope weren't crushed, and...well, that could be a challenge, given their audience and the dismissive, disapproving looks certain people were already giving him.

Thankfully, Sheena wasn't one of them. Instead, she turned to him, her eyes narrowed, and whispered, "Zelos, what are you doing?"

Before he could tell her that he'd _planned_ to ask her first to feel out how everyone would react to this, though, Orochi said, " _That_ is not happening."

Igaguri closed his eyes, frowned, and stated, "Orochi, that is enough," before opening his eyes and looking back at Zelos. "Please, Chosen, explain your reasoning for making such a suggestion."

Zelos wanted to kiss him for keeping Orochi in line - well, not _really_ kiss him, because that would be...ugh, but...whatever. He pointed at Michi. "That kid you have sitting there? He's extremely smart. He's sharp, too. He loves learning and experimenting. And what's more, he's a natural at strategic thinking. Have any of you played a game called chess?"

Orochi, Tiga, and Sadako all shook their heads, but recognition appeared in Igaguri's eyes. "Yes, I have, although it was many years ago."

Oh, good. At least _he_ recognized it. And honestly, Igaguri was the only one he had to impress anyway; if _he_ could appreciate this, then he'd be able to convince the others as well, even if they didn't understand the game. Zelos grinned. "Complicated, challenging game, right?"

"Yes, very," Igaguri replied. "The concept of capturing your opponent's king is simple, but it takes considerable strategy to win, especially against a skilled opponent." A faint smile appeared on his lips. "I remember quite enjoying that game."

Zelos hadn't thought he could be more impressed by Igaguri, but he was. Anyone who enjoyed chess went up considerably in his book. But right now, the point was Michi's aptitude, not the game itself. "Well, while we were waiting for lunch, I showed Michi how to play it...and he shocked the hell out of me by picking up the game like _that_." He snapped his fingers. "No, he didn't win, and during his first game he made plenty of newbie mistakes, but the second game...he did a _phenomenal_ job. He didn't make the same mistakes, and he picked an effective strategy from the start, one that takes most players quite a few games to figure out. I was amazed. In fact, if we'd had time to play a few more games, I think he could've beaten me - and I've been playing for years."

Sheena's eyes widened. "Wow. _I'm_ amazed. We've been playing for years, Zelos, and I've never even come close to beating you." She tilted her head, her eyes narrowing. "Come to think of it, I've _never_ seen you lose."

Heh. Zelos grinned proudly. "Oh, I have, but it was a long time ago."

She released a soft laugh. "I guess I can't be _too_ surprised, can I? Strategic thinking always was your forte."

Zelos's grin broadened, but before he could reply, Igaguri turned to Michi. "So you liked that game, did you?"

Michi nodded excitedly. "I like thinking like that! Planning moves in advance and then making your strategy happen, adjusting when it doesn't work, figuring out what your opponent is thinking..."

"Mm," Igaguri murmured, a smile toying on his lips. "That is very interesting indeed."

Heh. So Igaguri could see what he was getting at, eh? That strategic thinking _was_ a skill that could benefit Mizuho immediately, even if Michi never did learn to fight? Perfect. "Anyway," Zelos went on, "when I saw that, I thought I'd give something else a try, too." He grabbed his bag and pulled out the sliding puzzle. "This is one of the tests they use at the Academy to gauge specific types of intelligence in prospective students, in this case spatial and strategic thinking. Excelling in even one of these tests is automatic entry into the school. So I thought, because of the way he took to chess, that I'd see how he did on this. Imagine my surprise when he completed the hardest level faster on his first try than I did after days of practice, and this is the test that persuaded the Academy that I wasn't just a pretty face but was smart enough to actually do well there."

Sheena leaned toward him to peer at the device, then groaned. "Oh, _that_ one. I'm horrible at that. In fact, I _still_ occasionally have nightmares about trying to make everything fit without the pieces getting stuck in a loop."

Zelos grinned. "Yeah, but you excelled on the physical and elemental tests, which is why you spent most of your time at the laboratory in Meltokio, not in Sybak. This test doesn't measure a person's overall intelligence; it just measures one aspect of it."

Igaguri held out his hand. "May I, Chosen?"

"Sure," Zelos said, handing him the puzzle.

Michi leaned toward Igaguri and pointed out the 'on' button. "Press this button, pick the difficulty level, and then slide the pieces with your finger."

"Ah, I see," Igaguri replied. He spent a minute with the puzzle, his eyes narrowed as he worked. It must have been the easy level, Zelos figured, since he only spent a minute on it before the device chimed, indicating it was complete. Nodding, he then handed it to Orochi, who took slightly longer to complete it, and then Tiga tried it as well, his timing similar to Orochi's. Sheena shook her head as Tiga offered it to her, saying even the easy level took her too long, and Sadako, likewise, turned down the offer to try it.

"Now let Michi see it," Zelos said. Michi took it from Tiga, and Zelos grinned at him. "Go ahead, kid. Show 'em what you've got."

As he had earlier, after starting the puzzle, he observed it a few seconds, then quickly completed it and handed it back to Igaguri, beaming brightly. Even an audience couldn't deter him, Zelos noted with pride - and even without seeing the final score, he knew it was less than even Igaguri had managed. Igaguri smiled. "I see. I am impressed, Michi."

Zelos nodded. "Believe me, so was I. And even the hardest level was a cakewalk for him. He beat my best score by minutes - and like I said, _my_ score was considered exceptional."

Igaguri's eyes snapped up to him. "And you are saying this ability alone would grant him entry into the Academy."

"Definitely." The Academy was always looking for prodigies like Michi, even if they only excelled in one area of intelligence, and the minute they found one, they latched onto that kid until they agreed to study there. "Even if he's behind the other kids his age in what he knows, simply showing the aptitude for _some_ form of intelligence is enough. And with the Chosen vouching for him...well, he'd be admitted in a heartbeat."

Igaguri observed him carefully. "So you are suggesting we send him there."

"Exactly." Orochi scowled, but Zelos ignored him and went on. "I honestly think if you sent him there to study for a few years, you could end up not only with someone with knowledge of a whole host of subjects, maybe even medicine, but someone with one of the strongest strategic minds your village has ever seen. Let him hone his natural interests and skills instead of forcing him to study something he hates." He shrugged. "Besides, it's not like you've never sent one of your own away to school before. _That_ didn't turn out so bad, did it?"

"No, it did not," Igaguri murmured, smiling fondly at Sheena. "Clearly, Sheena has been a tremendous blessing to us, and enriching her knowledge of the world and letting her build such an extensive contact network has added to those blessings. She has brought with her some of the greatest benefits Mizuho could ever achieve." Unsurprisingly, a glance at Sheena showed that her face had reddened and her eyes had fallen downward shyly. Before Zelos could even nudge her, though, Igaguri's face fell as he looked back at him. "However, and I say this with deep regret after the case you have presented, Chosen, even if his mother agreed to this, I cannot see how that would be feasible. Sending a child to the Academy is extremely expensive, and Mizuho does not have the necessary funds at the present time. If we were to collect money for several months, perhaps we could send him for a season, maybe two, but we simply cannot do so right now."

Tiga nodded. "That is why we have been unable to send anyone else there since Sheena, and why we could only send her for a short time. Chief Igaguri had wanted her to attend that school, but it took us years to raise enough money to do so. We just cannot afford it for Michi right now."

Michi's face fell, but Zelos just shrugged. No surprise there, since Mizuho had never been wealthy. And since he'd already considered that possibility, he likewise already knew his answer. "Okay, fine. Then _I'll_ sponsor him there."

Unsurprisingly, every eye in the room turned to him. Igaguri arched an eyebrow, Tiga's eyes narrowed slightly, Michi looked outright stunned, Orochi and Sadako both gaped at him, and Sheena reached for his arm, albeit being careful not to touch him. "Zelos, are you serious?" she whispered.

He smiled faintly and nodded. "Yeah, I am. I really do think this would be for the best, not just for Michi, but for _all_ of Mizuho."

"Doing so would cost you a considerable sum of money, Chosen," Tiga stated.

"I know, but money isn't an issue for me," Zelos replied. "I'm willing to sponsor him for however long it proves to be a good fit for everyone."

"Mm," Igaguri murmured, eyeing him carefully. "This is a very generous offer, Chosen."

Yeah, he knew how it must look to them, but to him it was a no-brainer. Unhappy but bright kid who would be perfect for the Academy - and, more than that, a kid Zelos really liked and whose village he wanted to accept and win the favor of? What was there to think about? So it was a lot of money. So what? He _had_ a lot of money - and he would _still_ have a lot of money even if he sponsored Michi for ten years. The problem was, he couldn't be completely honest about that now, especially with Sheena sitting beside him. Being honest would mean giving away the new Grand Master Plan he was building for himself, and he couldn't do that until every piece of it was in place, he'd made all the necessary decisions, and he was _positive_ about those decisions. To that end, he had to make this understandable now without explaining that.

He grinned slyly. "Consider it to be an...investment...in Mizuho's future."

"You mean you are indebting us to you and would force us to pay you back whenever you need something from us," Orochi muttered.

Zelos shrugged, refusing to let Orochi get to him. "Maybe. Maybe one day I'll need protection or a place to hide if someone targets the Chosen, and it would be nice to think I might get it. Or maybe I'll _never_ need anything from you guys, and that's okay too."

Orochi huffed. "And let me guess: we would be obligated to give you whatever ridiculous thing you demanded of us."

And again, Zelos bit back a growl. Couldn't Orochi accept a gift without looking for the catch? Okay, granted, Zelos wasn't used to offering things like this _without_ there being a catch that benefited him, but there really wasn't one here - well, other than currying favor with Mizuho. It wasn't like he was making them swear a blood oath to sacrifice their firstborn sons to him! He just wanted a little acceptance here, and maybe an occasional friendly smile, too. Was that really so bad? Sure, it was selfish, but didn't the advantages for Michi - _and_ for Mizuho - outweigh that?

"Not necessarily," he replied as calmly as he could manage. "You would still be able to approve or deny my request. I'm not _that_ unreasonable." He quickly kept going as Orochi opened his mouth to retort. "Ultimately, though, I'm doing this to help _Michi_. It's obvious he wants this and would excel with it, and I like the kid too much not to give him a chance, especially when I can make it happen for him."

Igaguri smiled and bowed his head. "I thank you for your offer, Chosen, and I agree, this could prove extremely beneficial for Mizuho and its future." His smile faded and he turned to Sadako. "However, this choice is not mine to make. It is his mother's."

"What do you say, Sadako?" Sheena said, giving Michi's mother an encouraging smile. "This is an incredible opportunity, not just for Michi, but for all of Mizuho."

The moment Zelos saw Sadako's firm expression, though, his heart sank. "No," she stated. "I am truly sorry, and I appreciate the offer, Chosen, but my answer is no."

Michi's eyes widened in horror. "But Mom...!"

"No, Michi," she replied. "I won't let you do this."

Orochi nodded approvingly and Sheena's shoulders sank in disappointment, but Igaguri arched an eyebrow and asked, "May I ask why, Sadako?"

"Because Michi and Hamako are all I have left, and because I do not believe Tatsuya would approve of emphasizing book learning like this while neglecting the necessary physical training," she stated. "You cannot ask me to let my child go, especially one I cannot trust on his own, as this entire incident has proven."

Michi grabbed her arm. "But Mom, I...!"

"Your mother is correct, Michi," Orochi said. "And beyond her, think of Mizuho. Our numbers have been struggling since the Volt accident. Losing even one person threatens our future, especially when you have made it clear that if you left, you would not return."

"See, that's the thing," Zelos said. "I'm not asking anyone to let him go. Mizuho's population is hurting, and you don't want to lose another person close to you, Sadako; I get that. But you aren't _losing_ him; you're giving him a _choice_. Let him go, study everything he wants to study, and hone his mental abilities. Let him find out what the world is like and figure out who he is. Then, once he's found his answers and comes back - and he will since he loves you and his sister dearly - because it's his _choice_ to do so, he won't resent this place anymore. Wouldn't that be better? Having someone here who _wants_ to be here, rather than having someone here who's being forced to be here and who'll always resent those people who prevented him from becoming the man _he_ wants to be because they thought _their_ vision for him was better than his own?"

"Mm," Igaguri murmured, lifting his head thoughtfully. "The Chosen makes a valid point, Sadako. Mizuho has survived this long because we all feel a sense of belonging and loyalty to it. If, however, we force someone who does not wish to be here to do so, without letting him do what his heart tells him he must, we lose that loyalty and risk exposing ourselves to a dangerous, potentially disabling vulnerability from within. An unhappy person is one who can be turned against us and can thus lead to our downfall. We cannot allow that."

Zelos's gut told him he already knew the answer to this, but he needed to ask the question aloud so everyone else realized it, too. He looked pointedly at Michi. "Michi, if you studied in Sybak for a few years, would you come back to Mizuho once you finished?"

Michi's eyes widened as if surprised anyone would ask him that. "Of course I would! I love my family, and I want to protect them. I would even be willing to learn to fight if it meant I could study the other stuff, too." He looked around at everyone with surprising urgency. "But if I did study fighting, I still don't want to use those skills to hurt anyone!"

Igaguri smiled reassuringly. "I am certain when Sheena becomes chief, she would be willing to assign you missions that do not require you to harm anyone."

As always happened whenever someone mentioned her impending time as chief, Sheena's cheeks reddened - but what surprised Zelos was that her eyes briefly darkened, too. Despite that, though, she smiled and nodded. "Of course I would, Michi. I'd never force you to do anything you didn't want to do." Michi nodded his gratitude, but then Sheena looked back at Sadako, her smile fading. "Sadako, you've told me countless times that you've always had trouble figuring out what to do with Michi, how to get him to train harder and not run off on you, how he was never happy and you could never figure out what he was thinking. Zelos managed to get through to Michi in a way none of us could. And I know Zelos, even if you don't. He wouldn't be making this offer unless he really thought it would work. He isn't doing this to hurt you by taking Michi away from you. He understands what Michi's been through, tragically losing a parent, and that's why I trust his judgment about what would help Michi most. Why not give this a chance, at least for a few weeks? If it turns out this won't work and Michi doesn't like being there, he can always come home."

"Sybak isn't far, either, so you could go see him anytime," Zelos added. "And it's safe there; they have people who stay in the dormitories with the students, keep an eye on them, impose curfews, and make sure they don't get into trouble. He'd be able to meet kids his age and have fun studying, experimenting, and exploring in ways he can't here. He'd be able to learn what he _wants_ to learn, and he'd probably be happier for it."

Sheena nodded. "I didn't spent much time in Sybak, but I did spend _some_ time there, and it really wasn't bad. While yeah, it was uncomfortable at times being immersed in a different culture when none of the kids knew how to treat me, on the whole they _were_ all nice enough."

Zelos let out a soft laugh. She had never guessed the reason for that, had she? "That's because I made sure no one there pestered you for being 'different.'"

"What?" she asked, looking sharply at him.

"Heh." He wasn't sure if she would _thank_ him or _smack_ him for this, because he'd never met another woman who hated being 'rescued' and 'protected' as much as Sheena did, but he'd take the chance. "Let's just say I, oh, occasionally found myself yelling at anyone I heard talking badly about you."

Her eyes widened. "You did? But we were only..."

"...Good friends for a few weeks and then barely talked for years after that due to my, er, _personal issues_?" he finished, pushing aside the tug of guilt in his gut at the memory and reminding himself that _everything had changed since then_. "Yeah, I know. But that doesn't mean I didn't set them straight, and since most people respect the Chosen's wishes, well..." He shrugged. "That's why no one bothered you there."

Thankfully, instead of getting pissed, Sheena chuckled. "I should've known that was you."

Zelos grinned and turned back at Sadako. "And believe me, I'd do the same for Michi so no one picked on him. I know you ninjas can take care of yourselves, but it's the least I can do for you guys so you don't have to worry about stupid people making your lives difficult. People tend to fear the wrath of the Chosen." And while he knew this was a bad idea, he couldn't resist giving Orochi a mild glare. "Well, _most_ people, at least."

Orochi returned his glare a moment, then cleared his throat. "I still do not like this. Do you seriously believe a child who has repeatedly skipped his studies here in an informal environment will attend classes and do homework in a formal school setting?"

"Yes, I do, because this is something he actually _wants_ to do it," Zelos said. "There's a huge difference between doing homework and studying everything necessary to become a ninja, Orochi. Michi doesn't _want_ to learn to hurt people, but he _does_ want to learn about everything else, and homework will help with that. Like I said, I've already caught him creating his own 'homework.' Trust me, he's capable of it." He looked at Michi. "Michi, if you went to the Academy, would you attend all your classes and do all your homework?" As expected, Michi nodded excitedly, and Zelos motioned at him. "Then there you go. I believe him. Besides, if I'm sponsoring him, then I have the right to drop by the school any time and make sure he's behaving and doing everything he's supposed to. I can even talk to his instructors and see how well he's doing. If I find my money is being wasted, then I can pull him from there...not that I think that would happen."

Sadako's brows furrowed as if she was starting to consider it, but she was still holding tight to her resolve. "But this is definitely not what his father wanted for him."

"That is entirely possible," Igaguri said. "However, it is just as likely Tatsuya would have eventually realized the same we now have and saw the value of letting Michi do this. We cannot speak in the place of a deceased man and presume to know what his opinion would be now. I truly believe accepting the Chosen's offer would bring everyone great benefit, Sadako. In fact, this might actually dispel many of the myths about Mizuho and bring us more acceptance in the outside world, if others see one of our own displaying his curiosity and intelligence in a setting where such qualities are valued."

Sadako sighed - and for a moment, Zelos actually felt bad for her. He _was_ asking a lot of her: to let a son she barely knew walk away to pursue his dreams. It was no surprise she looked so lost, so afraid...so _torn_. "Cannot the Chosen sponsor another child for this?" she said, her voice wavering a little. "Why does he have to choose mine?"

"Because I can think of no other child in Mizuho who would be as good of a fit for this as Michi," Igaguri replied. "And, what it more, this truly seems to be what he wants. You want him to be happy, do you not?"

Her brows furrowed further as she closed her eyes. "Of course I do."

Igaguri nodded, then turned to Michi. "Michi, is this something you want to do, something that would make you happy?"

Michi nodded and touched his mother's arm. "I want to go, Mom. I want to learn about the world and meet people! I don't want to become Mizuho's best fighter! I'm not Dad, and I love him and miss him and wish he was here, but I'll never be him. I don't _want_ to be him."

"As I thought," Igaguri said with a nod. "And as every ninja is already aware, weapons of the mind are often just as powerful as weapons of the body. Not every ninja here needs to excel in the same areas; perhaps Michi will never master the physical aspects of being a ninja, but he may very well excel intellectually and become an outstanding strategic thinker for our people. How is this a problem, Orochi?"

Orochi's face fell and, after a moment, he sighed in defeat. "It is not, Chief Igaguri."

Igaguri eyed him a moment, then smiled. "Then I would be happy to accept the Chosen's offer and grant permission for Michi to attend the Academy. What of you, Sadako?"

Sadako was silent, watching Michi closely, her eyes reflecting sadness and bewilderment, but Zelos had negotiated with enough people to see she was coming around. Squeezing her eyes shut, she shook her head, then finally opened her eyes and turned to Zelos. "Chosen, I must ask, because I cannot understand this. You barely know my son, and yet you are offering to spend a considerable amount of money doing this for him. Why? Why do you care so much about what happens to him?"

 _Oh, Sadako, if you only knew._ Sure, he had a lot of reasons, most of which he couldn't share with these people, but this, he wanted to believe, was his main one. "Because Michi is a smart, bright kid, one who's been through more than anyone his age should ever have to, and I like him too much to watch him struggling like this without trying to help. Take it from me, if something doesn't change, he'll just get more difficult, disobedient, resentful, and miserable, and eventually he'll snap. I know because that was once me. But I also know that sometimes having just one person who believes in you, someone wiling to give you a chance you wouldn't have otherwise, is enough to completely turn your life around." He gave Sheena a soft smile. "Someone very special did that for me once, and it's only fair I do something similar for someone else who needs it in return."

Sheena's cheeks reddened and she returned his smile shyly - _good, she knows I was talking about her_ , he thought, his smile broadening - but then he looked back at Sadako, whose face softened further. After a moment, she sighed and turned to Michi, who was still watching her hopefully. "Is this truly what you want, Michi?"

"Yes, Mom," Michi said. "It is."

Her shoulders sagged, but after a moment she sighed and nodded. "Then I will approve of this under two conditions. One, that whenever you are not at school, you return to Mizuho and continue training with Orochi, this time _without_ skipping any of your lessons, regardless of whether they are physical or mental in nature. And two...you must promise that once you have finished your studies there, you will come back to me."

Michi nodded curtly. "I promise. I'll come back to Mizuho and make you proud of me."

Sadako breathed in deeply, then touched his cheek. "Then I will miss you dreadfully...but yes, you have my permission."

Orochi's brows furrowed. "Sadako, are you certain?"

"Sheena was right, Orochi. I have taken many different routes with Michi, yet none has worked. Nothing you tried has, either. Perhaps the Chosen is correct about this being the best option. Chief Igaguri is also correct, that it is possible my husband would have eventually reached this conclusion himself. If Michi's abilities truly do lie in mental, not physical, areas, then preventing him from pursuing them would be shortsighted and selfish. So long as he learns the physical skills necessary to defend himself, then I will permit this."

Michi threw his arms around her. "Thank you, Mom. Thank you so much."

Sadako smiled and returned his hug. Her eyes were still sad, but there was hope there, too, starting to outweigh the sadness, most likely that this really would help. Whatever it was, though, it confirmed for Zelos that Sadako really did love Michi and wanted him to be happy, even if it meant sending him away. And for a moment, he wished _his_ mother had been like her, because that was how a mother was _supposed_ to love her son.

But that wasn't a possibility, and he quickly pushed that thought aside as Sadako looked at him and asked, "When do you plan to take him, Chosen?"

Zelos shook his head. "I'm not sure yet. Before he's officially admitted, he'll need to undergo testing to check his current knowledge base, and then they'll have to get stuff ready for him - set up a room for him in the dorms, get his materials together, plan his courses, that kind of stuff. He probably won't be leaving for a week or two, so you guys still have time to get things in order here."

"Very well," Igaguri stated, lifting his head. "Then I believe this issue has now been settled. I will make an announcement to Mizuho regarding this promising turn of events shortly."

"And right now I need to get back to Meltokio and have a...chat...with the king," Zelos said. "I'll swing by Sybak tomorrow morning and get the ball rolling, and once I know what our timeline is, I'll update you guys. Chances are they'll want to test Michi tomorrow already."

"Very well, Chosen," Igaguri said, giving Zelos a pleasant smile. He bowed his head and rose to his feet, and everyone else followed suit. Once standing, Igaguri walked over to Michi, grasped his shoulders, and looked him in the eye, his gaze pointed. "Michi, this is an incredible opportunity for you. Do not disappoint the Chosen."

"I won't," Michi said, grinning broadly, but it quickly softened into a shy, grateful, admiring smile as he turned to Zelos - one that...well, that made Zelos feel pretty damn good about himself, more so than he suspected he deserved to feel. "Thank you, Zelos."

"You're welcome, kid," Zelos said, patting his back.

Knowing he'd helped make a difference in this kid's life felt incredible. Michi now had a chance Zelos wished he'd had: to become the person he really was instead of having to live up to everyone's expectations of him. And the best part was that now that everything had been sorted out, he could officially declare this experiment to be a success. He'd made a good friend in Michi, and he'd also learned quite a few things about Chief Igaguri that he liked, namely his ability to reason calmly and remain impartial when seeking the truth. Not everyone here was like Orochi. And again, Zelos had to wonder whether Orochi's persisting coldness toward him was jealousy over Sheena, simple dislike, or a sincere belief that Zelos was bad for Mizuho. At least Igaguri wasn't blinded by bias and emotion. Zelos wasn't sure how much he'd won over Sadako, and he suspected Orochi hated him more now than ever, but regardless, he still felt more at peace with this village. And the smile Sheena was currently giving him...well, that smile, too, was worth all of this fuss.

He was walking away from this having found what he'd been looking for: something in Mizuho, besides Sheena, worth caring about. And beyond simply making a friend, he'd also hopefully earned a bit of trust and respect here. Sure, those were small accomplishments compared to the grand scope of what he would need to decide to move here permanently, but it was a start - one he was extremely happy with. And, best of all, he'd given this 'troubled, troublemaker' child a chance to achieve his full potential.

He had come to realize something else, though, too: these 'cold-hearted, emotion-lacking, assassin ninja robots' were _real_ people - _good_ people. They wanted to succeed in life; they wanted the best for their loved ones; they dealt with the same issues everyone else did. They sought acceptance, love, and intellectual stimulation; they struggled to find their place, fit in, and still be true to themselves; they grieved and had deep insecurities; they raised their children to the best of their ability but still occasionally made mistakes. Zelos had been an avid student of human nature most of his life, and there truly was nothing significantly different about these people. Only their culture, language, lifestyle, and traditions differed, not the people themselves - and this experiment had only focused on a small sample of people. After this, he had no doubt that if he looked at the other villagers and learned their unique stories, he'd find something similar.

The end result was immensely hopeful. He wasn't ready to embrace this place completely yet, but he'd taken some huge leaps toward that. The fact of the matter, though, was that he didn't have to make a final decision for several more months, and for everyone's sakes, he'd take every second he had left and use it to make the right one. This decision was huge, after all, and he didn't want to mess this up, because messing it up would likely mean disappointing Sheena. But regardless of that distant decision, one thing he _was_ now certain of was that he refused to quit. Nothing that had happened here could deter him. In fact, it had done the opposite by giving him hope that a future with Sheena really could happen. He'd lived without a real Grand Master Plan for himself for months, ever since Sheena had stormed into his life, hijacked his last one, and irreparably crushed it, but now a new one was finally taking shape. It was nothing like he'd expected, and it certainly wasn't finalized yet, and there were a hundred pieces still missing, but the outline existed, and he was starting to feeling more comfortable with what he was seeing.

There was hope. _There was hope_! And oh, was he glad there was, especially when the alternative, a life without Sheena, was too depressing and scary to even think about. He couldn't help the amazed smile that lit his face at that realization - one he didn't even realize was there until Sheena suddenly nudged him and gave him a questioning look. In response, though, Zelos just grinned and shook his head to tell her it was nothing.

It definitely wasn't _nothing_ , but it wasn't something he could discuss with her yet, either, not until he was absolutely sure. But the day was coming when he could - he could see it looming on the horizon - and oh, was he looking forward to it already.

"Michi, Sadako, please stay a moment longer," Igaguri said. Tiga, Zelos noted, was heading out of Igaguri's home, with Orochi trailing behind him. Michi and Sadako, who'd been following Orochi, quickly stopped. "Your mother and I must still discuss an appropriate punishment for your disobedience in running away, Michi."

Unsurprisingly, Michi's face fell, but then he took a deep breath and nodded. "Okay." His eyes snapped back to Zelos and Sheena as they took that as their cue to leave, and his face quickly brightened again. "Thanks again, Zelos."

Zelos grinned. "No problem, kid. I'll see you guys tomorrow."

"Chosen...thank you," Igaguri said, bowing his head.

Even Sadako, to Zelos's surprise and pleasure, gave him a faint smile. It was obvious from how guarded her eyes were that she was still leery of him and uncertain how happy she was about this, but despite that, he could tell her smile was sincere. Maybe he _was_ winning her over, little by little. "Yes, Chosen," she said. "You are far kinder and more generous than I was led to believe. Thank you for providing my son this opportunity."

"You're welcome." Zelos smiled warmly. "He's a good kid. I really hope it helps him."

Sadako's smile broadened as she looked down at Michi. "I am certain it will."

And then he and Sheena were putting on their shoes and heading toward her home. She remained silent a minute, clearly not wanting to say anything while in the street, with people looking at them curiously, clearly wondering about their meeting with Igaguri, but Zelos wasn't worried about them; he knew Igaguri would tell them what had happened. No, he was far more interested in the way Sheena kept glancing at him with a small smile on her lips, as if she wanted to say something.

Finally, as they were nearing her house, he couldn't wait any longer. "What?"

Chuckling softly, Sheena shook her head and looked at him. "You really are unbelievable, Zelos. What you just did...that was incredibly sweet. And generous. And _selfless_. I'd say I can't believe you just did that, but...well, I _can_ believe you just did that."

He couldn't help smirking. She would probably never realize this, but nothing could motivate him more than hearing her express such faith in him. Granted, she wasn't completely right because he _wasn't_ selfless - actually, what he'd just done was incredibly _selfish_...or at least he _thought_ it was, although lately even he hadn't understood all of his own motivations - but knowing she believed in him and approved of his choices would never get old. Never.

"What?" he countered. "You mean I should've _let_ that kid go on being miserable because he thought everyone hated him when I could do something to fix it?"

Sheena looked around the village and, seeing none of the villagers currently watching them, looped her arm through his, leaning into him. "Of course not. I figured you two would hit it off, and you did."

Zelos grinned and pulled her closer. At least they'd nearly reached her house. "Believe me, sweetheart, I have my reasons for everything I just did."

"I know," she whispered. "But seriously, thanks for bringing him back so quickly. Sadako was going crazy worrying about him."

"Yeah, I figured she would be. If he was my kid, I would've wanted to know where he was, too. I didn't want her worrying any more than necessary."

Sheena looked up and smiled at him as they arrived at her door, and Zelos released her arm so he could open the door open for her. She nodded her thanks and stepped inside, Zelos following her, and they immediately knelt to remove their shoes. It seemed silly to do so since he couldn't stay long, but house rules were house rules. Besides, he needed to touch base with her before hightailing it out of here.

"So will everything be okay with the king?" she asked, standing again.

He really didn't know. From experience he knew how upset the king could be when people wasted his time skipping meetings, especially one Zelos himself had been pushing for, and he knew how mad the king could be _especially_ when they didn't tell him in person that they couldn't make it, but what was done was done, and Zelos didn't regret his choice, no matter what came of it. If it took an extra week or month or three to get rid of the title because of this, well, so be it. In fact, what concerned him most wasn't getting rid of the title but rather how this might affect his odds of becoming Foreign Minister, if it made him look like he was too lazy or forgetful to attend important meetings. Although if he played this right, maybe he could frame it as a matter of 'foreign relations,' that a crisis had come up and he'd had to come here to prevent Mizuho from blaming Meltokio for kidnapping one of their kids. He'd have to think about that and see if he could use it to his advantage...

But he could worry about that later. "Things with the king will _have_ to be okay," he said, shrugging. "This really was more important."

Sheena gave him a disbelieving look as he finished removing his boots and stood up. "A troublemaking child from a 'backwater' ninja village experiencing an identity crisis was more important than attending a meeting with the king. _Riiiiight_."

Yeah, he knew how crazy it looked, but she didn't have all the facts. Zelos grinned and pointed at her. "That. Exactly."

Sheena chuckled but didn't question that further; thankfully, she seemed to have accepted months ago that sometimes he just made seemingly bizarre choices. "So do you want me to come back to Meltokio with you and, y'know, vouch for your presence here?"

His grin softened. While he was sure he could handle this himself, Sheena offering to come back with him was _always_ a good thing. "Sweetheart, I _always_ want you to come with me. If you don't have any other plans, I would gladly accept the company. Today has been stressful enough for everyone...maybe we could find some way to unwind a little."

Thankfully, she had _also_ learned not to take every comment he made suggestively, and instead of smacking him, she returned his smile. "Then let me grab my bag. Besides, I'd like to come with you when you explain this to the Research Academy tomorrow."

She turned and headed toward her bedroom, and Zelos stood back, admiring the view as she went. Oh, yeah, he loved this woman - _all_ of her - and he especially loved knowing that even if she caught him admiring her voluptuous curves and lithe figure like this, the most he'd get would be a glare and a reminder to get his mind out of the gutter, not a full throttling. "I'm sure they'll laugh off my recommendation at first and humor me because I'm the Chosen," he said when he couldn't see her anymore. "Once they see his test scores, though, they'll begin salivating over him and begging him to enroll. It'll be hilarious."

She reappeared in the doorway, bag in hand, and smirked. "I can't wait to see this. Academics are amusingly predictable without even realizing they are."

Zelos mirrored her smirk, knowing what she was thinking of: Raine whenever she went into wacky 'ruin mode' that usually involved throwing herself at old rocks, hugging them, and talking to them as if they were long-lost friends. "Quirky lil' devils, aren't they?"

Sheena arched an eyebrow. "Just don't let Raine hear you call her a _'quirky lil' devil'_ or she'll prove you right about the 'devil' part, even while vehemently denying it."

"No kidding." Yes, that was true, too. Zelos didn't even want to consider how many forms of devilish torture Raine could devise to punish them. Like force-feeding them soup that tasted like paint remover. Or force-feeding them soup that really _did_ contain paint remover. But as fun as reminiscing was, the clock was ticking. "Anyway, c'mon, love. If I want to get back in time to salvage my standing with the king, I have to get going."

"I know," she said, her smile softening. He grinned and began kneeling to put his shoes back on ( _yep, taking them off really had been a waste of time_ ), but before he could, she grasped his arm with a soft, "Zelos?"

"Hm?" he replied, his eyes narrowing as she pulled him back up.

Hopping up on her toes, Sheena gave him a kiss that sent a wave of love, heat, and desire sweeping through him, her fingers weaving through his hair and holding him to her, even as his hands went to her waist and pulled her body against his. And just like that, he was reminded of why he'd been working so hard on his 'experiment' the past few weeks: because he loved her, loved _this_ , far too much to ever let it go. He would never forgive himself for not doing everything he could to hold onto it and make it thrive for as long as he possibly could.

After a moment, Sheena pulled back a little and smiled shyly, her brown eyes warm and bright. "Just because I wanted to," she whispered. "And because I love you so much and am so glad you're a part of my life."

Zelos couldn't help grinning. Asking for a 'reward' hadn't even been on his agenda, but here she was, giving him one anyway. And if _she_ was his reward...then he would gladly do it all over again, and then a thousand times more, if it meant keeping her with him forever. And, best of all, it was starting to look like that might actually be a possibility now.

Releasing her waist, Zelos's lightly caressed her cheek, melting into her eyes. He could get lost there forever and he suspected he wouldn't care if he was never found again; so long as she was by his side, he would be happy. "And just because I love you so much, too..." He lowered his head to hers and gave her another kiss, and then she was wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him back with breathtaking beauty and passion.

The hell with Meltokio, the king, the church, and getting rid of that stupid, pointless title. Sheena, her warmth, her kiss, and her love was far better than any money or power or anything else they'd ever offered him. And he'd be damned if he didn't enjoy every single second of it that he could get.

0~*~0


	6. The Friend

**Part 6: The Friend**

"Now, you have everything you need, right? Books, pencils, paper...?"

Michi nodded. "Yes, yes, and yes."

Sheena grinned and leaned back against a nearby tree trunk as she watched Zelos kneel in front of Michi to say his goodbyes. As predicted, enrolling Michi in the Academy had been easy once the administrators had seen how quickly he'd solved that puzzle, and then, when Michi had aced a few other tests as well, they'd declared him to be a 'diamond in the rough' and instantly admitted him. And now, two weeks later, they were dropping him off in Sybak the day before his classes started so he had time to meet the other students and settle in.

Ever since the 'running away' fiasco, life had been going smoother for Sadako and Michi; Michi hadn't acted up or caused any trouble, and as a result, they were getting along for the first time in years. As far as Sheena was concerned, the whole thing was incredible. Seriously, why had Zelos singled out _one kid_ from her village and completely changed his life like this? The risk he'd taken with her people, not only taking responsibility for Michi's actions but then offering to sponsor him like this, had been huge, and yet he hadn't backed down. She was sure he had his reasons, and she didn't doubt the reasons he'd given her, and part of it was probably in hopes of righting the wrongs he'd experienced as a child, but still...it felt like there was more to it than that. Any time she tried prodding, though, he just brushed it off, and finally she'd given up.

Regardless of his reasons, though, she couldn't deny the end result, nor the benefits that might one day come of it. And really, when she became Mizuho's chief - something the iris bracelet around her wrist didn't let her think too deeply about - she would be glad to have a mind like Michi's around to supplement one of her weak spots: strategic thinking. Well, she knew who she _really_ wanted there to fill in that gap, but since he was such an unlikely, questionable option, knowing she'd at least have Michi was still a huge relief.

"Be patient with your classes, okay?" Zelos went on. "Things will probably seem slow for awhile, but once you catch up with the other kids, everything should pick up."

Michi nodded again. "Okay."

"Make sure you're good for your teachers and do what they say," Zelos added. "Make sure you get your homework done on time, too."

"Right."

Well, if _Zelos_ could lay down the rules like this, then _she_ , someone actually from Michi's village, should be able to do the same. "Be careful not to share any of Mizuho's secrets with anyone," she said.

"I'll be careful," Michi replied, looking at her.

"Make sure you study hard and learn lots of stuff that you can bring back to us, too," she added. "When I become chief, I'm counting on you to use what you learn to help me out."

Michi smiled and nodded. "Okay, Sheena. I'll make Mizuho proud."

Yeah, she didn't doubt that. She returned his smile. "Don't disappoint Zelos, either. He's putting a lot of faith in you by giving you this opportunity."

"I know," Michi said. "I won't."

Zelos grinned as he looked back over his shoulder at her. "I seriously doubt that'll be a problem, sweetheart."

Sheena tilted her head and returned his grin. "No, probably not."

Zelos turned back to Michi and pointed at him. "And no gawking at girls."

A blush instantly flared on Michi's face as he looked down, embarrassed, and Sheena's eyebrows rose. What the heck kind of rule was _that_? " _'No gawking at girls'_?" she repeated.

"Hey, why should I let him make the same mistakes I did at his age?" Zelos said, giving her an innocent shrug that the smirk on his lips rendered completely ineffective. Sheena rolled her eyes, but he quickly turned back to Michi. "Just be nice to them and you'll do fine. Oh, and at your age, edible body paints are _not_ an appropriate gift for a girl you like, and any girl who gives _you_ some should be avoided at all costs."

Sheena smacked her palm to her face, unsurprised to see how confused Michi looked. "Oh, for the love of...Zelos, don't give him any perverted ideas! He's only _twelve_!"

Zelos whirled around to point at _her_. "Hey, I will have you know I received my first bottle of that stuff when I was even younger than Michi!"

Sheena lowered her hand. " _Younger_?"

"Heh, I didn't even know what it was at the time," he said, grinning reminiscently. "I just thought she'd given me a bottle of cake frosting or something."

For a moment, Sheena could only gape at him, horrified. "Are you _serious_? I can't believe any girl that age actually did that!"

Zelos gave her a disbelieving look. "You didn't seriously expect one of my hunnies at _any_ age to give me something _appropriate_ , did you?"

...Oh. Right. She'd forgotten who they were talking about. "Good point," she conceded. "Although I still think that's terrible."

"Yeah, it is." He turned back to Michi. "Which is why you should avoid anyone who gives you any." Michi, however, just blinked at him again, still not understanding ( _ **thankfully**_ _not understanding,_ she silently added), but Zelos just grinned. "Just trust me on that, kid. Oh, and while on the subject of cute girls making bad choices, no conning any into taking attendance and completing your tests for you so you can skip class."

Michi's brows furrowed further. "...Why would I skip class?"

While normally Sheena would roll her eyes at Zelos's stupid comments and suggestions, none of which applied even remotely to Michi, that time she couldn't help chuckling. "I think Zelos is talking about himself when he was your age and was going to school here."

Michi looked back at Zelos, still blinking in confusion. "You really did that, Zelos?"

Zelos, thankfully, had enough good sense to look sheepishly embarrassed. "Yeah, I did. I wasn't called a 'troublemaker' for no reason. Oh, and while on the subject of behaving, no cheating, no falling asleep in class, and no playing pranks on anyone." Sheena snorted, and Zelos gave her an innocent look. "Hey, I got in a lot of trouble for doing all of that here!"

"Yeah, I don't doubt _that_ one bit," she muttered, then thought of something else. "Oh, and no beating up any of the students, no matter how stupid they act." She grinned cheekily. "Unless, of course, that student's name is 'Zelos,' in which case, knock yourself out. And preferably knock _him_ out, too."

Michi's confused gaze turned to her, even as Zelos gave her an incredulous, _'What gives?'_ look. "But why would I beat up Zelos?" Michi said. "I _like_ Zelos!"

Zelos's face brightened and he pointed at Michi. "Yeah, see! See, see! At least _someone_ knows how to properly treat The Great Zelos!"

Sheena rolled her eyes. "Well, I like Zelos, too! Most of the time, anyway. Whenever he isn't acting like _The Great Zelos_. But back then, sometimes he really did deserve a smack on the head to get his mind out of the gutter. Or to stop him from acting like a moron." Zelos shot her a mock glare, but she just batted her eyelashes at him. "What? You did!"

"Yeah, probably," he grumbled, releasing a showy, reluctant sigh. "But y'know, love, I seriously doubt beating up other kids will be a problem for Michi. It might've been _your_ problem, but this guy's an idealistic little pacifist, remember?"

"Oh, right." She beamed him another cheeky grin. "And really, I only had that problem with you anyway."

He snorted and turned back at Michi. "She's right, though. I really did deserve all those times she beat me up." Unsurprisingly, Michi looked between them again uncomprehendingly, but Zelos chuckled and waved that off. "Eh, ignore us, kid. It's an inside joke. Just be yourself, learn a lot, have fun, and make lots of friends."

And finally, Michi relaxed as if to say, ' _Ah, finally, instructions I can actually understand!_ ' "I will," he said, smiling broadly.

"And if you need _anything_ , let us know and we'll take care of it for you," Sheena said.

Michi nodded curtly. "Okay, Sheena."

Zelos grinned. "You excited?"

The smile that lit his face answered the question in a way no words could. "Yeah, I can't wait!" Without warning, Michi's smile grew shy. "Thanks again for everything, Zelos."

"You're welcome, Michi," Zelos said, his grin softening as he patted Michi's arm. "I'll stop by in a few days to see how you're doing. Maybe we can even play another game of chess. I want to see how long it takes you to beat me."

"Okay!" Michi said. "I thought of a few new strategies I can't wait to try."

Zelos chuckled. "I should've known you'd be thinking about that. Chances are you'll find other kids to practice on until then; chess is pretty popular here. I wouldn't be surprised if you're invited into the chess club before the end of the week."

Sheena grinned broadly at the excitement that lit Michi's face at that thought. The bond these two had found amazed her. Thanks to how poor Zelos's relationship with Genis had always been, she'd never thought he would prove to be the kind who got along well with kids, but this friendship with Michi had forced her to reconsider that. And now that she thought about it, she should have seen it sooner. He had, after all, spent a staggering amount of money getting that orphanage in Palmacosta up and running, which had made it clear he had a soft spot for children who had lost a parent. He knew how they felt, and he couldn't help but want to ease their suffering. She had no doubt he truly liked Michi, either; if he didn't, they wouldn't be standing here now. And, what was more, Michi adored him, too; she could see it in his eyes every time he saw Zelos. Zelos had made a friend for life, and she was thrilled that he'd managed to do so without acting like the Chosen One. She wanted Zelos to realize how good the man he hid behind the mask truly was, and the only way that would happen was if others accepted him for being himself the way Michi had.

What really got her now, though, was the last thing she'd ever expected: the thought that if Zelos was this kind and giving with _Michi_ , a child he'd only known two months, then how would he be with his _own_ children? Thinking of him that way, as a _father_ , felt strange and foreign to her, because for so long Zelos had been one man she'd maintained should never have children because of how 'childish' and 'irresponsible' he was, but the truth was...well, now the thought of seeing him in that position sent a painful tug through her gut, one she could only identify as pure yearning. Envisioning him like that was weird, especially when she realized how much she wanted _his_ children to be _her_ children, too, but now that the thought had entered her mind, she couldn't shake it. And the strangest thing was that she didn't find it repulsive or even scary; in fact, it was the opposite, something she suddenly realized she wanted, with a strength she'd never felt before.

The thought itself might not scare her, but the realization of how much she _wanted_ it left her utterly terrified.

That fear soon became too difficult to bear, though, and so she quickly shoved the thought from her mind. _Don't, Sheena,_ she told herself, squeezing her eyes shut. _You can't think like that...you can't even indulge in such a fantasy. You're still hopeful for a future with him, but growing to so powerfully want something that has more chance of_ _ **not**_ _happening than it does_ _ **of**_ _happening is a horrible idea. Some things are just too painful when they remind you of something that will likely never be. If that future miraculously_ _ **does**_ _happen,_ _ **then**_ _you can fantasize, but for now, just don't._ And since she wasn't a masochist - well, she _was_ , but she _wasn't_ , either - then that was that.

"Hey, and don't let anyone get to you if they tease you for not knowing something," Zelos was saying when Sheena opened her eyes again. "Remember, you aren't used to being in a formal school setting and are just starting out, so you'll probably be behind the other kids. But you'll catch up soon enough, and then you'll be kicking their butts at...well, at everything. Just keep studying and doing what you need to do. You'll do great here; I know you will."

Michi smiled shyly. "Thanks, Zelos."

Sheena sighed as Zelos's words triggered other memories of her own brief time here. "And don't let anyone get to you if they tease you for being different because you're from Mizuho, okay? Children can be mean sometimes, especially when they don't understand why another child is 'different' from them."

Zelos's smile fell. "Sheena's right. Anything that differs from their perception of the 'norm' means 'weird' to them, and while some kids love 'weird' and flock to it, others fear it, and that fear sometimes manifests itself in cruelty. Sheena and I have both experienced our fair share of it for being 'different.'" He gave Michi another grin. "Just don't be afraid to drop my name or let me know if anyone's bullying you, okay? Like I said, people fear the Chosen and don't want to get on my bad side for fear of incurring the 'wrath of Martel.'"

Sheena rolled her eyes, not at Zelos's words, but at the fact that people really did think like that. That was just another way people were determined to separate the Chosen from themselves. It was no wonder Zelos wanted so desperately to be rid of that stupid title.

But Michi didn't need to know that, so instead she said, "And remember, too, that while you don't like fighting, you're still a ninja, and chances are if you wanted to, even with the little physical training you've had, you could easily beat up every kid here."

"Blindfolded," Zelos added, grinning.

Sheena chuckled. She had told him that once years ago when he'd expressed his shock that she'd been able to beat him up, about how part of ninja training involved fighting proficiently even when deprived of sight. She was just surprised he'd actually _remembered_ that. "What he said," she said.

Without warning, Zelos's eyes snapped to three kids walking by on the street, two boys and one girl, all around Michi's age, and his grin broadened. "And speaking of kids who love 'weird'...hey, Toby!"

A boy with freckles and short, sandy hair turned to see who'd called him. The moment he saw Zelos, his face lit up. "Zelos!"

The other kids also turned their attention toward Zelos as Toby ran to meet him. "Hi, Zelos!" a boy with curly auburn hair said as he followed Toby.

"It's the Chosen!" the sole girl, a brunette, said.

Zelos stood and gave Toby a special hand greeting, a cross between a handshake and a high-five. "Hey, there, guys - and lady." He bowed charmingly to the girl, and she giggled and blushed. Sheena rolled her eyes but still smiled fondly. That was just one of his many traits that refused to die: being a gentleman toward every woman he met, no matter what her age. Not flirtingly, thankfully, but rather just politely and charmingly. "How's it goin'?"

"Good!" the girl said. "I got an A on my science test!"

"Dr. Beckler praised my paper on poisonous mushrooms!" the auburn-haired boy said.

"I got first place in last week's debate!" Toby said.

"Great job, guys! You know what I like to hear, you little geniuses-in-the-making." Zelos glanced at Michi and gave him a reassuring smile - Michi, Sheena noted, was looking at the other kids wide-eyed - then he turned back to them and placed a hand to Michi's back. "Hey, listen, I want you guys to meet someone. This is a good friend of mine, Michi."

Michi gave them a shy smile and wave. "Hi."

The other kids all greeted him pleasantly. "He's new around these parts," Zelos went on. "He's a...a foreign exchange student."

"Where are you from?" the girl asked.

"Mizuho," Michi replied softly.

Toby cocked his head. "That's that ninja village, right?"

Michi nodded, and Zelos patted his back. "I've been there. It's really cool."

The auburn-haired boy looked at him curiously. "My dad says Mizuho is a..."

Zelos cut him off with a wave of his hand. "Nah. Trust me, Evan, whatever you've heard about it, it's not true. No offense to your dad, but he's never been there. I, on the other hand, have been there loads of times. Who're you gonna believe about this, him or me?"

"You, Chosen!" Evan said, grinning brightly.

Zelos winked and gave the boy a thumbs up. "Right."

"So you're a ninja, Michi?" Toby asked, to which Michi nodded. "That's cool. I've never met a real ninja before! Can you do some cool ninja moves?"

Michi shuffled on his feet. "A few..."

"Can you show us sometime?" Toby said.

Evan nodded. "Yeah, please?"

"I'd like to see them, too!" the girl chimed in.

Michi's eyes widened, as if he was surprised by their interest. "O...okay."

"Zelos says ninjas are cool, so I believe him," Toby stated.

"It's nice to meet you, Michi," the girl said, offering him a cute smile.

Michi blinked at her a few times, a light blush appearing on his face as he shyly returned her smile...a display that made Sheena chuckle. If she didn't know better, she would've thought he'd never spoken to a girl before. "Y...you, too, um...?"

"Danica," she supplied with a giggle.

Zelos listened with an almost wicked sparkle in his eye, then cleared his throat. "Listen, Michi's really cool and really smart and really curious about stuff, but he's never studied in a school before. Everything he knows, he's had to teach himself. So I want you guys to look out for him, okay? He isn't familiar with some of the stuff you guys take for granted, so think you could show him around, make sure he knows where his classes are, teach him the ropes, and make sure the other kids don't pester him?"

Evan nodded brightly. "Okay!"

"C'mon, Michi, you gotta see our favorite spot to do our homework!" Toby said. He grabbed Michi's arm and began tugging him toward the street, followed by Evan and Danica.

Michi's eyes widened as he glanced back at Zelos and Sheena - Sheena thought he actually looked a bit bewildered as Toby dragged him away - but there was definite excitement in his eyes, too. With a grin, Zelos folded his arms to his chest and leaned back against the tree beside Sheena. "Hey, just make sure he gets to his classes on time, guys, okay?"

"Don't worry, we will!" Toby called back to him.

Michi looked back at Zelos and Sheena and waved at them. "Bye, Zelos! Bye, Sheena!"

"Have fun, Michi!" Zelos said, returning his wave.

"We'll see you in a few days, Michi!" Sheena added. A moment later the kids ducked behind a building and were gone.

"He'll be just fine," Zelos stated.

Sheena smiled as she turned to him, seeing the happiness shining in his eyes. "Yeah, I think so, too. They seem like good kids."

He nodded. "They are. The one, Toby, is from Meltokio. When he was younger, he used to constantly pester me for stories about being the Chosen and the world and...well, _everything_ , actually, kinda like Michi. A few months ago I ran into him again while I was stopping by to see Seles, and he introduced me to his friends. They all come from good, stable families and will be a good influence on Michi. I trust them."

Sheena nudged him with her elbow. "Then so do I."

And she did. Zelos knew what he was doing, and she knew he would never hand Michi over to just anyone unless he truly approved of them. Introducing Michi to these kids reminded her of what he'd said two weeks ago, that he'd done his best to look out for her here and made sure kids treated her with respect despite how 'different' she was, even after their friendship had fallen apart. It warmed her heart - and not just because seeing him like this with Michi ignited that longing, mothering instinct in her. Zelos was so different now than he had been back then...and yet at heart, he was exactly the same: a kind, giving, caring, protective man. He'd just grown up since then and become more comfortable embracing and displaying that part of him. And Sheena loved who he'd become in the process.

Looping her arm through his, she leaned into him, savoring the kiss he pressed to her temple. But then she remembered something else he'd said. "And speaking of Seles...do you want to drop by to see her while we're here?"

She could feel him grin where his lips were pressed against her cheek. "Yep!"

 _Uh oh_. Pulling back slightly, Sheena eyed him warily. "Okay, you're too excited about that. There has to be a catch."

"Well...yeah, there is. If we wait an hour, I'm pretty sure she'll be in class, so that would be an _excellent_ time to drop by." He shrugged as she gave him a disbelieving look. "Well, at least it'll make it look like I _tried_ to see her without actually _having_ to see her."

Sheena arched an eyebrow. "And if she's _not_ in class?"

"Eh, then we'll have to dodge the rotten fruit she'll throw at us and try to have an actual conversation with her. But as far as I know, she really should be in class all afternoon, so if we wait until then, our odds of having to deal with her drop significantly."

While that didn't surprise her, she wasn't _happy_ about it, either, and her gut twisted at the reminder that all was not well with Seles. So far Sheena had only stopped by to see her once with him once since they'd started dating, and it hadn't gone well, laced as it had been with dirty looks and unkind words, so she could understand his reasoning. For that matter, after last time, _she_ didn't want to see _Seles,_ either. But the knowledge that things between them were falling apart like this, and especially that _she_ was the cause of it, sat in her gut like a lead weight - and she knew it bothered Zelos, too, despite his feigned indifference. One day she really would have to sit down with Seles and try to work things out with her. The lingering tension was something she knew Zelos hated, and Sheena didn't want it there, either. She wasn't looking forward to that conversation, and she wasn't even sure she could control her temper enough to get through it (because unfortunately, she'd done pretty badly that last time), but for Zelos's sake, she'd have to try. But according to him, that day wouldn't be today, and for now Sheena wouldn't push.

"So if we have an hour to kill, what do you suggest we do until then?" she asked instead.

"How 'bout a picnic?" he said. "It's lunchtime, so we could grab something from the cafeteria and park it here." He waggled his eyebrows. "I even hear the first batch of peaches should be in soon. If we're lucky, they might already have a few."

Sheena bit her lip and looked around, considering it. While the thought of eating a peach again after all these months was appealing, she especially liked the thought of having a picnic _here_. It was a lovely spot beneath a giant oak tree, it was a gorgeous day that indicated spring was approaching, the sea was just a stone's throw away, the sky was a deep, gorgeous blue...and just like that, her eyes widened as it hit her. This was...this was _that_ tree, wasn't it? It was! How could she have forgotten it? No wonder Zelos had specifically dragged them over here earlier!

She smiled shyly and turned to her companion. "Sure. This is a good spot."

Zelos grinned back at her, his eyes soft and knowing. "You remember it too, don't you?"

Warmth flooded her cheeks as he turned to stand directly in front of her, his face mere inches from hers, his right hand still on the tree trunk beside her and his left finding a similar location on her right so she was pinned between him and the tree. She let out a shy laugh and looked down at his Cruxis crystal. "Of course I do."

"Thought you might. You were sitting right here, worrying about how you would pass your upcoming math test so you didn't get kicked out of the Academy and disappoint your village. I recognized you from all the times we'd crossed paths in Meltokio, and even though everyone said I should ignore you because you were a 'filthy ninja,'" he rolled his eyes, "I just had to find out why such a cute girl was so upset. I couldn't stand to see you like that even then."

Sheena chuckled and lifted her hands to his chest, lightly trailing her fingers over his black shirt. She could still see him that day, a loud, boisterous, gorgeous teenage boy with impossibly red hair, just plopping himself down beside her and talking to her as if it was the most natural thing in the world. " _Hey, gorgeous_ ," he'd said, leaving her embarrassed at the name and at being caught crying. She'd been even more flustered when he'd nudged her and kept going, even when she'd turned away to hide her tears. " _Pretty girls like you shouldn't be crying; you should be laughing. I've seen you around Meltokio, and you have a lovely smile. What do I have to do to see it? C'mon, tell me what's bothering you so we can get rid of these tears_." She'd been so disarmed by his outgoing personality that she'd told him. He always had had a way of drawing things out of her that she hadn't wanted to tell him - an ability he still possessed now, years later.

"And then, when you found out, you offered to tutor me," she murmured. "Yeah, I remember that. I recognized you from Meltokio, too, but I had no idea you were the Chosen, and while I remember thinking how good-looking you were, I never felt comfortable asking anyone at the Research Laboratory about you."

"You were the first girl I'd ever met who didn't recognize me simply from the color of my hair," he replied, smiling reminiscently. "I wasn't sure how to act around someone as cute as you who wasn't all giggly and flirty just because _the Chosen_ was talking to you. But I liked it, too, that you never tried to come on to me like other girls did. I felt comfortable with you. And then when I found out you could kick my ass..."

Sheena chuckled as even more long-lost memories floated back to her. "Yeah, I did beat you up for teasing me about not knowing my multiplication tables, didn't I?"

"Yes, you did." He flashed her a crafty grin. "It shocked the hell out of me that you could, but more than that, that I _liked_ it."

"Hence why I was always beating you up after that, eh?" she replied, grinning wryly.

His grin broadened smugly. "Yep!"

Yeah, he really was an idiot, wasn't he? And she didn't care anymore. She shook her head, amused, but then sighed, her gaze falling to her fingers as they traced the edge of his shirt. "And then I finally asked about you and found out who you really were and I was mortified."

"And _I_ felt awful because _you_ felt awful, and...well, I _tried_ to be nice!"

"You were," she said, lifting her eyes back to his. "You became one of the best friends I'd ever had." She smiled. "We talked about everything back then, didn't we?"

Zelos nodded, his blue eyes softening further as they took in her face. "Yeah, we did. Even then I told you so much I'd never told anyone else. Obviously not the _main_ stuff, but..."

"It was enough. At least, it was enough to get me to open up with you the same way."

And for a moment, Sheena closed her eyes, letting herself get lost in the memories - memories she'd suppressed for years but could now enjoy again, untainted by the pain of loss that had plagued her afterwards. Zelos helping her pass her test, taking walks and eating lunch with her, showing her around his mansion and teaching her to play chess, listening to her and talking to her and cracking jokes that made her smile and laugh and sometimes smack him again, too. Sure, she'd heard all the stories about him back then from Orochi and Kuchinawa, about how he chased after women and was irresponsible and couldn't be trusted, both trying to point out what her 'friend' was known for to prevent her from being hurt by him. At the time, though, she hadn't been able to connect their warnings with the sweet, caring, charming, helpful friend Zelos had been, and so she hadn't believed them, much to their dismay.

"You were so sweet to me back then," she said, opening her eyes.

He watched her a moment, smiling softly, but without warning his face fell. "And then I..."

His voice trailed off, and he sighed and shook his head, looking away from her, the pain and wistfulness on his face telling her what he was talking about. And suddenly, Sheena wanted to know this. They didn't talk about the past much because she knew it still haunted him, what he'd done to her because of his building feelings for her, but being here with him was bringing it all back. Besides, this had opened an unexpected opportunity she'd never had before to find out what had been going through his mind back then.

She ran her fingers over his chest again. "When did you know?"

To her surprise, he gave her a sheepish smile. She was pretty sure a light blush was appearing on his cheeks, too. "Heh. Don't kill me, okay?"

Uh oh. That was _never_ a good prelude to something. Her eyes narrowed. "Okay...?"

Zelos observed her uncertainly, his fidgeting betraying his discomfort, but Sheena just waited, and finally he sighed. "It was that day I accidentally caught you in the shower." Her eyebrows flew upward - _oh, Jizou, tell me he did_ _ **not**_ _just say that!_ \- but when she realized he was serious, she growled and glared at him. "And _not_ like you're thinking," he quickly went on, giving her a pointed yet pleading look. "My thoughts really _weren't_ all that perverted at that moment, y'know."

"I'm not sure I believe that," she stated, arching an unamused eyebrow. But his pleading expression surprised her, and she'd learned the hard way that he did sometimes deserve the benefit of the doubt in these situations. He'd just better hope this was one of those times or she _would_ have to beat him up for implying seeing her _naked_ while peeping on her was what had made him _fall in love_ with her. "But go on anyway."

Zelos turned his head away, letting out a soft, uncomfortable laugh, but then he took a deep breath and met her eyes again. "It was so stupid. I'd played a prank on a boy who'd been bullying a puny first year student, and the boy's father, one of the teachers here, was on a rampage trying to find me. I was looking for a place to hide, and the women's shower room was the first room I found. I figured he'd never go in there because, y'know, _it was the women's shower room_ , so I snuck in. I didn't see anyone, so I figured all the girls were in class - and, okay, so I'll admit to being disappointed when I realized no one was there - but then the door opened, and he came inside anyway, and I ran further in, and...well, by the time I realized I was hearing water running, it was too late."

...Oh. Right. Sheena could feel herself softening as that memory, too, resurfaced for the first time after being buried for years. "Yeah, I do remember you looking just as shocked at seeing me there as I was at seeing you." A moment later, though, she grinned wryly and poked his chest as the _rest_ of the memory hit her. "Of course, then you just _stared_ at me."

Zelos's eyebrows flew upward. "For what, all of three seconds before you came to your senses and started screaming and throwing things at me and grabbed a towel and chased me out of there? Sheena, I was _shocked_. You were the _last_ person I expected to see there. And, well, I guess you could say I was stunned by how...perfect...you were." Instantly, her face flared and her gaze fell downward again in embarrassment. Before she could respond, though, he went on. "You were beautiful - and I know what you're thinking, but I really _don't_ mean that in a perverted way. I'd always liked you before that because you never treated me like the Chosen and because I felt so comfortable with you, but all we'd been at that point was good friends, and that...that was the moment I started seeing you as not just a friend, as a cute little ninja tomboy with a pretty smile who wore unflattering clothes and could beat up anyone who so much as looked at her wrong, but as a stunningly beautiful woman.

"And after that...well, things deteriorated quickly for me after that. You haunted me; I couldn't get you out of my head. You started treating me differently because you were embarrassed about the shower thing and didn't trust me after that, and I started worrying about how I could make it up to you because I didn't want to lose your friendship, and I was confused about what I wanted from you, how I was feeling about you, and how I should treat you because I wasn't seeing you the same way anymore, and I'd never felt that way with anyone else before, and..." He sighed, his eyes darting away from her. "And then one night when I couldn't sleep because all I could think about was _you_ , it hit me that I was falling for you - not just pretending to fall for you or obsessed with a cute hunny, but truly falling for you. And it scared the hell out of me, not just that it had happened at all, even though I'd sworn I'd never _let_ it happen, but how _quickly_ it had happened without my even realizing it and without either of us meaning for it to happen. I refused to believe it, but I couldn't take the chance that my feelings were real, so...well, you know the rest."

Sheena swallowed hard and nodded, resuming tracing his chest with her fingers, knowing that small action wasn't much, but hopefully it would be enough to soothe a bit of his guilt. She'd had no idea; he'd never let on back then that what he'd felt was anything more than simple friendship...or perverseness. "Yeah, I do." Lifting her eyes back to his, she gave him a wistful smile, amazed by how much lighter she already looked back on that incident. "Y'know, if you hadn't started treating me the way you did, I would've eventually forgiven you and we could've gone back to being real friends again. I mean, I _do_ remember that teacher coming in and asking if I'd seen anyone else, and I did figure out that you'd been running away from him, but because you started acting like the perverted idiot toward me, I figured it had been your excuse to peek at me." She let out a wry, self-deprecating laugh and looked back down at his chest, her own guilt bubbling up. She couldn't believe she'd ever lost faith in him like that without letting him explain himself - _sincerely_ explain himself, not just distract her with the infamous Chosen One act. "At that point, the stories I'd heard about you began making sense and I started believing them."

Zelos sighed sadly. "I was too confused and scared _not_ to treat you like that, Sheena. I saw it as a wakeup call about where our friendship was headed if I didn't stop it, and as much as it killed me to push you away, I couldn't let that happen. You know why."

"Yeah, I do. Well, at least now I do." She lifted her eyes back to his. "But I missed you so much after that, Zelos. I spent years trying to find _you_ inside the perverted idiot again, that old friend I'd once had. Every now and then I'd catch these little glimpses of you, and I'd hope maybe you still existed somewhere in there and I could pull you out again. Every time I tried, though, you just pulled back again, and..."

His eyes slid shut and his head sank downward until his forehead was touching hers. "I'm so sorry, Sheena."

 _Oh, Zelos._ Seeing him in pain over something he'd already apologized for and more than made up to her for twisted at her heart. She wished she knew how to take that pain away, to assure him she'd forgiven him long ago and didn't regret giving him a second chance, but she didn't. All she could do, therefore, was caress his cheek with her fingers before pulling her head back so she could give him a faint smile. "Don't be. I know now why you did what you did. And I finally did find you again, that sweet, charming friend I used to have...and I found so much more than that, too. If that's what it took for us to reach this point, so you could get rid of your title and live a real life, then I'd do it all again in a heartbeat. I mean that. I wouldn't trade you, us, _this_ , for anything, not even being spared that pain."

Thankfully, Zelos returned her smile, although wistfulness and sadness still lingered in his eyes. "I still wish we hadn't lost all those years, though."

Sheena nodded. "So do I. But neither of us was ready for a real relationship back then. I mean, my goodness, Zelos, I was only fourteen! You were only seventeen! I hadn't even managed to summon Corrine yet!"

His grin broadened, the sadness melting away, but his eyes were still soft as he observed her. "Six years...has it really been that long?"

"Unbelievable, isn't it?" she said, returning his smile.

"Yeah, it really is. And you're right, a lot has happened since then."

"A lot had to happen before we could even think about having something like this. And if we'd pushed it before we were both ready for it...well, I doubt we'd be here right now. Chances are a lot of the good things that have happened since then wouldn't have happened, either. Y'know, like what you just did for Michi. Or maybe you would've talked me out of accepting the king's mission to kill Colette if we were in a relationship and the worlds might never have been reunited. It just seems unlikely that even if we'd tried a relationship back then, we would've survived to this point. We were too young, and neither of us was at a place in our lives where we could've acted on it."

Zelos watched her closely a moment, but then he nodded. "Yeah, you're right. We were. We might not be here right now if things had played out differently." He sighed, his head sinking downward. "I still feel terrible about what I did to you, though."

Yeah, Sheena could tell; guilt was written on his face, and it killed her not knowing how to ease it. So she did all she _could_ do: she gave him another understanding smile and traced his jaw with her fingertips. "I know. But you've more than proven since then that that's not who you really are and that you're sorry about it. Like I said, Zelos, I found _you_ again, and then so much more. It's like you're a completely different person now. You've grown up and matured into a beautiful man. If I could stand you up beside the man I knew a year ago, I would never believe you were the same person unless I'd seen your progression myself. You aren't nearly as selfish anymore; you aren't weighed down by life's demands of you; you don't hide everything behind the arrogant, carefree mask anymore. You're the same man, and yet because your circumstances are so different now, you aren't afraid to be _you_ anymore. And because you don't need to worry about saving yourself anymore, you're able to help others instead. It's brought so much good out of you." Her eyes darted at the school, and her smile broadened as she looked back at him and saw how intensely, how _hopefully_ , he was watching her. "Like what you just did for Michi. I'm so glad I've been able see this in you. You really are a good, kindhearted man. Don't ever doubt that."

His eyes were shining as they took in her face again, telling her how touched he was, but then he sighed and returned her smile wistfully. "Maybe, but I'm still a selfish man, too. Don't go getting any misconceptions that I'm not. Everything I do is still for a reason, and it's usually for my own benefit."

Sheena let out a soft, humorless laugh as guilt flared within her, and her gaze fell back to his Cruxis crystal. "I guess we're all selfish in our own way, aren't we? I am, too."

After all, if she _wasn't_ selfish, she would have let Zelos go long ago. As Raine had said, staying with him when their future was so questionable, despite her determination to see this through to whatever end fate had in store for them, truly _was_ selfish. But right now she wasn't ready to deal with that, nor with the doubts that still frequently popped up about the course she'd chosen. She refused to give up hope, because she'd learned long ago that embracing negativity actually _attracted_ bad things to you, but the fact remained that if not for the iris bracelet around her wrist, serving as what she wanted to believe fate had used Zelos to give her as a reminder to hold onto her faith, she likely would've broken up with him months ago. It _was_ there, though, and because of the incredible symbol it served, she would look toward the future positively. If she was wrong, the pain would be devastating, but if she was right...oh, how she hoped she was right.

"Yeah, I suppose so," Zelos said, his eyes trailing over her face again. "But in the end, Sheena, it's you. It always has been, since the moment I met you and you refused to treat me differently just because I was rich and had a fancy title. You're the one who's brought this good out of me, who's given me the courage to become the man I always wanted to be. You've kept me honest. You've made me want to be better. That's one thing that hasn't changed over the years: how deeply you've touched my life...and how much I treasure you because of it. Now more so than ever before."

Tears pricked her eyes and her heart swelled with love, and Sheena lifted her hands to his neck and drew his head down to hers, pressing a tender kiss to his lips before resting her forehead against his and closing her eyes. She opened her mouth to try to express her feelings, to tell him he had done just as much for her, bringing so much happiness into her life, but the words wouldn't come. And it was then, overwhelmed by emotion, that she nearly said the words she'd wanted to say to him for so long now: " _Stay with me, Zelos. Tell me we have a future together. Tell me we'll be like this forever, that our love will survive to the end of time. Tell me you'll never leave me; tell me I'll never have to leave you because of the obligations binding me to my village. Please, Zelos. Save me from the nightmare I fear is awaiting us. Please_." She had come so close to asking him a few times, like that morning she'd asked, only half jokingly, if he could stay 'forever,' but at the time she'd known he had an excuse to say _'no'_ or _'not yet,'_ and that was why she'd let herself do so. Now, though...now the light and love that had shining in his eyes at the time as he'd replied _'Yes, but..._ ' haunted her. She'd known there would be a 'but,' but she hadn't wanted there to be, and now...well, now she wanted to ask him again, seriously this time, and she wanted him to reply without the qualifier. She wanted it, she wanted _him,_ in her life, forever...desperately.

Her lips opened, that time ready to say it...but again, she quickly caught herself. As much as she wanted to, wanted _him_ , she couldn't; the fear that engulfed her heart at the thought of doing so simply wouldn't let her. After all, if she said the words and he said 'yes' and yet she saw even a single flicker of doubt in his eyes...well, it would tell her everything, and in that moment, her heart would be crushed. Asking him to give up everything he knew for her, to accept a life he didn't want...she couldn't do it. Maybe one day she could, but right now she couldn't put him on the spot and make him choose between the life he'd always wanted, one free of the responsibilities he'd always resented, and the difficult, demanding life that came with her. She loved him far too much to do that to him, to make him feel obligated to accept something that would leave him miserable, for _her_ sake. She may be a foolish, selfish girl who wanted to keep him all for herself, but even she couldn't do that to him, knowing the future she brought with her. If he spent the rest of his life yearning for something she made it impossible for him to find, after all, then she would never truly be happy knowing _he_ would never truly be happy.

That realization, that Raine had been right and she _was_ a fool to place so much hope in fate, especially when she already knew she could never ask him the question she'd _have_ to ask him to turn desire into reality, terrified her. And as it always did, her selfish determination to preserve hope reminded her of the iris pendant on her wrist, and she touched it with the fingers still wrapped around his neck, letting it erase her fears. Leaning closer to him, she whispered, "I love you, Zelos, so much," and kissed him again, succumbing to desperation and melting against his body, moaning into his mouth as his hands sought her hips and pulled her to him. She would give anything to freeze time at that moment, to protect it from harm, to guarantee they could never lose the beauty they'd found together and could stay like this forever. And for a moment, Sheena thought she could feel it as he returned her kiss: the same desperation currently overwhelming her...maybe even for the same reasons. And that desperation...well, whether it was real or imagined, she chose to take comfort in it and in the thought that maybe he wanted the same thing she did.

Having now seen so much goodness from him these past few months, his determination to take responsibility, see things through, and sacrifice himself in ways she'd never expected, Sheena made up her mind. From now on, she wouldn't just trust fate anymore to see them through; she would trust Zelos, too. She might not be able to ask him for the one thing she needed most - _him_ \- but she would trust him to hear the question anyway. And maybe, just maybe, one day he would answer it and save her from the bleak future that awaited her.

 _Please, Zelos, save me. Please._

"I love you too, Sheena," he whispered as he finally broke the kiss, brushing his nose against hers.

But soon, Sheena couldn't stand it anymore: she needed more. Unable to resist the burning need within her, she lowered her arms from his neck, wrapped them around him, clutched him to her, and buried her face against his chest, her racing, frightened heart only calming once his arms slid around her and cradled her to him in a warm, loving, protective embrace that she never wanted to leave. And for an indeterminable time - maybe seconds, maybe minutes, maybe hours - they just stood like that, holding each other, until finally Zelos pulled away enough to look down at her and touch her face, his brows furrowing as he trailed a thumb over her cheek, brushing away a tear she hadn't even realized was there.

"Hey, sweetheart, you okay?" he asked gently, but Sheena just sniffled a little and nodded, wishing her voice was working again so she could tell him he needn't worry about her. When she didn't respond, though, a faint smirk lit his face. "Y'know, those better not be tears in your eyes or I'll have to resort to extreme methods to make you smile again."

She couldn't help it; she burst out laughing and let her head sink downward to rest against his chest again. After a moment, she lifted it and looked up at him, meeting his curious - but still concerned - eyes. "I'm fine, Zelos. Really." And then she gave him what she knew he wanted: an honest-to-goodness smile. Because the truth was, as long as she was with him, she really _did_ have everything in the world to be smiling about.

Zelos watched her closely again, but then he must have seen what he needed for he relaxed and returned her smile. "Okay. If you're sure."

She nodded, her smile broadening. "I'm sure."

"Good." A moment later, he motioned behind him with his thumb. "Then what do you say we go to the cafeteria, grab some food, and get this impromptu picnic underway?"

"Sounds good." And before he could pull back completely, Sheena gave him another kiss, and then another, and then another, because one kiss from him would never be enough to satisfy her, not when she was so totally and completely in love with this man.

Something told her she could be kissing him from now to eternity and it would _never_ be enough to satisfy her. But she'd be damned if she didn't treasure every single kiss from him that she could get.

~Fin~


End file.
